How much monthly allowance do you give your teenager?

[mismomary]

Our eldest DD is 17 and in sixth form. Last year we started her on a monthly allowance but it's not working. She's really down about money, says she hasn't enough to buy Christmas presents for friends or clothes. We give her £80pm and pay for phone, gym, and basic toiletries. (Rule is if Tesco stock it she can have it). Clothes I buy the basics.

She's been trying to get a job but struggling, has applied to local pubs and supermarkets etc.

I'm starting to think we have got this allowance totally wrong and she should be on more like £200pm or more. We can easily afford this but don't want to be over generous as want her to learn to budget and value money etc But perhaps we've gone too far the other way.

I'd be grateful to know what you give. Maybe we are way off!!

I think £80 a month is OK, as you are covering mobile phone, clothes, gym and toiletries. As you say you are comfortably off, perhaps £20 more a month would be a nice gesture, or maybe a bit more if she is genuinely trying hard to find a job.

I think if you are too generous, young people start to take money for granted and don't learn to be sensible with money. For instance, we took no money for keep when our son started working full time - and he wasted a lot of money in the early years of employment because he had no concept of budgeting/saving.