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!!

My 15 year old gets £20 a month but can top up with regular ironing, car washing or full clean of bathrooms, for which we pay £10. We pay phone gym essential clothes and toiletries and occasional meals out with friends ie church youth things or before concerts. Bus Travel free in Scotland. Her friends are on similar budgets so they often have film nights in etc.

I'm a single mum and my ds gets £16 a month which was his pocket money that I've never cancelled the dd. I pay his sports club membership and buy basic clothes as well.
He has a Saturday job so earns about £200 a month.
He spends a little on computer games but is generally a saver, so has plenty for Xmas presents.

My young teens get £50 a month but that’s purely spending money. I pay for lunches, clothes, toiletries etc. if they want an expensive brand or something nicer in terms of make up etc they use their allowance. They can earn extra by doing particular jobs outside of general housekeeping - I don’t get paid for that and neither do they. I’m not wedded to them needing to earn every penny, they both will have jobs when they’re older but they’re both too young for now.

I will increase their allowance when they’re 16 and help them find work alongside school when they’re ready for that. I think £80 is low for a 17 year old, life gets expensive at that kind of age.

You're giving her plenty, she needs to learn to budget and to make more effort getting part time work.

If she's buying clothes then £80 way too little. I give my 14 year old £20 for snacks and bits and bobs and I'm extremely far from rich . I buy all her clothes if you can afford it I would do £50 a week.

I would up to what you can. Life is hard enough and very expensive these days. I do not want mine eating Mc Donald’s so better quality is more expensive. Even £200 in London is not much now.

I had a job from 13 too, but jobs are much harder to find now for teens. We have the gig economy to thank for that.

My ds17 has a job but he needed the required qualification and even then it was a battle to find something.

Does she need new clothes every month though?
I certainly didn't get new clothes every month at that age - Christmas, birthdays and start of new Uni term (worked p/t and started Uni at just turned 17) were the main times.

Meanwhile outwith the privileged bubble of never ending pocket money.....

@OvertimeSchmovertime that's not necessarily true, mines been trying for ages and getting really down getting nowhere!

Maybe need to reevaluate how they're presenting themselves as a candidate?

I’d give her the £200 tbh . It’s hard to teach budgeting if there’s nothing to budget and £80 goes nowhere these days .

80 is more than plenty, if she wants more then she earns it.

@GehenSieweiter haven't got that far and their applications are high standard as we help

£80 per month for 17 year old, and they top that up with a part time job that took ages to find. We also pay for basics like phone, haircuts, toiletries and essential clothes as and when needed.

I feel bad - ours only get £25 a month!!!

we pay for everything though basic clothes, toiletries, and give them money if they are going somewhere with friends. They walk to school and we pay for lunches.

DS1 did not really spend any money in 6th form. Now he is in Uni he gets £250 a month from us.

DD is 17 and has had a job for a few years now which she uses for concert tickets and extra clothes etc she wants

DS2 is 15 and wants to fet a job as soon as he can.

Maybe they're not the right standard if they're not being invited for interview?

Those who confidently state that they can 'get a job' - you have no idea of what the employment situation is in specific local areas.

It's such a lazy thing to say. Many employers will not consider under 18s, particularly in care roles and others are looking for 'full flexibility' - which cannot be achieved for students in school/university.

There is a hollowing out of entry level roles and it is clearly acknowledged that the jobs being shed at the moment are mostly young people's roles.

I haven’t had to give my older teen anything for a while now as she earns about £1300 pcm in her PT job. But when she was in her very PT job and earning peanuts I think we gave her about £150 a month. £20 a week goes nowhere these days - it’s a McDonald’s and a bus far around here.

We still pay her mobile and half her car insurance (£120 a month) plus clothes as and when she needs them but she gets the majority herself given she has a huge amount of disposable income.

Lazy? OK.
Supermarkets, fast food, cafes/restaurants, local shops.....all traditionally where young folk start off.

I should say, my teen sister is under 18 and has been offered 3 jobs in the past week - Greggs, Sainsburys and Tesco so I’m struggling to understand how people can’t get anything (unless you live very rurally)

I’m torn. I agree with paying for basics, college travel, toiletries etc. but I think £100-150 a month for EARNED money for a teen is fine. I’m really biased though and it depends on the teen. Biased because working in mental health the kids I see from families where they are given everything with no expectation to contribute to family or community are the ones who display the worst behaviour , struggle to show empathy or are less resourceful. That’s a big generalisation based on my experience over 12 years. I personally believe children need to contribute and become engaged members of society! So extra money is in return for commitment/time and effort given. Or initiative .

Mine are mid 20’s now but got £60 a month at sixth form, they earned extra singing at funerals (unusual I know)

also I second that it’s quite hard for kids to get jobs now!

I’m really stingy but have 3 dc. Dd1 is 17 and gets £20 a month, then I pay for her phone and gave her £250 for clothes in August. She does have a job too. She also went on the school trip to Italy last Easter so she gets the money in that way. Plus we’re paying for car insurance and driving lessons.

dd2&3 got £10 a month each but that’s now £20 as they’re in year 10 (14yo). But I pay for their phones, theatre club, dance, cadets and buy them clothes - they still like shopping trips with me.