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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

How much money do you give your teens?

79 replies

Lovesdogsandcats · 09/02/2009 22:26

Do they get weekly/monthly pocket money, if so how much.
And in the hols, do you give them extra?

Dd's (13) friends always seem to have a few quid each time they go out. Usually Sat/Sun and more in the holidays.. they spend it on bus/trains/drinks/lunch if they go round the shops, then more for the odd film/bowling if they go out at night.

Once the Christmas/birthday money runs out, this is hard to keep up.

So please, will you share your teen money stories

OP posts:
musicposy · 12/02/2009 18:23

DD2 (9) just gets £5 per month pocket money but I still buy everything like clothes for her.

ByTheSea · 12/02/2009 18:32

We give DS1-13 £5/week spending money for doing some cleaning in the kitchen after meals. He has recently spent some Christmas money on clothes, but generally we buy all his clothes, toiletries and school lunches. We also throw him some money on the odd occasion he wants a cinema trip with friends or whatever and he has a very expensive hairstyle (he's black and has single braids) so that's another £40 every month or two. He is supposed to hoover the stairs and hall once weekly for this but generally doesn't. And when I realise he's out of credit on his phone, I buy him some, usually a tenner a time.

We do not live in a wealthy area but he says we're the 'tightest' parents around.

Libra · 12/02/2009 18:52

After a long Mumsnet thread six months ago, where it was decided that I was being too mean, DS1 (nearly 15) now gets his child allowance. Around fifteen pounds a week. He has to pay for all clothes apart from school uniform for that, plus going out, etc. We pay for his tae kwon do classes and gradings.

He can earn extra money for chores. Tomorrow, he is off school because it is half term so is cleaning the entire house, which I will pay him for.

Lins75 · 15/02/2009 15:56

My stepkids who are 15 and 17 have credit cards and quite the limit on them and my 13 year old daughter gets pocket money every day, the amount she needs.

MitchyInge · 15/02/2009 16:10

mine are 18 and 16 and they give me a bit of money - 1 from p/t earnings and the other from DLA - as a contribution to household expenses (£100 a month each)

they do a lot of baby sitting and housework for me so I sometimes pay them for anything extra or urgent in that department, and I pay their contract mobile telephone bills each month. it's quite a 2 way street these days marvels

barbarianoftheuniverse · 15/02/2009 16:11

Ds16 gets £20 a month from me + plus clothes, school trips, music lessons. Earns another £100 per month though, and saves about half of it.

smartiejake · 15/02/2009 17:07

My DD (12.5) starts the week with £3. For every day she behaves this increases by 50p. If she misbehaves she loses 50p. So if good behaviour all week £6.50.

She can also earn extra by jobs such as cleaning the shoe cupboard, dishwasher and tidying kitchen. SHe is responsible for dusting and vacuuming her own room. Averages about £8 in total per week (for main pocket money and jobs money.)

I buy her clothes and will pay for cinema as long as not too often and so long as she has been behaving. We also contribute £5 per month to the top up card for her phone.

janeite · 15/02/2009 17:25

My two girls, 11 and 13, get £30 a month allowance except in December. Out of that they buy non-essential clothes (which for dd2 means no clothes and for dd1 means lots of clothes), games, CDs, art stuff etc. We give them extra if they are going out (probably once a month) and also top up their mobiles when needed (these are used only for calls to me or dp so about £10 every six to eight weeks).

granarybeck · 15/02/2009 17:48

Ds (12) gets £5 per week, uses for trips tp town, saving etc. I buy all his essential clothes etc. At the moment we pay his phone but need to think about this one.

He also has a card for school lunches and snacks at school which we top up, but he does go through quite quickly, though not as bad as some of his friends. Is trick as I don't want him worrying about the cost but some drinks, for example, are really quite pricey so soon adds up with morning snacks etc.

Dd (10) says she's rather not have pocket money and we just sort as as we go.

Is interesting seeing how people manage as they get a bit older.

StewieGriffinsMom · 15/02/2009 20:03

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higgle · 15/02/2009 20:50

DS2 is 14, he gets £10pm from each of us plus £5pw if he mows the lawn ( which is hard work), and of course that is in the summer. DS1 is 17 and he gets the same, but he earns £90pw working weekends at Tesco, so he just uses his for bus fares. Both of them have to clean and tidy their rooms and their play" room, do their own washing and clear up after supper between them. as DS1 is saving up for when he goes to uni don't ask him to pay for much out of his wages.

blossomsmine · 25/02/2009 21:57

Don't know if i am mean or generous, never really thought about it before! Although, money alot tighter nowadays so i am having to re-think things abit i suppose..
Anyway dd 14 doesn't get any actual money from us. She works at her youth club and gets £10 weekly for that, although won't be paid in the school holidays. But i buy everything else, trips to cinema, outings with friends, new clothes, everything really. Until lately that hasn't been a problem but due to the stupid credit crunch i think things will be changing a bit

PillicockSatOnPillicockHill · 25/02/2009 22:04

horrified at sums on here

judgy judgy in me thinks that the kids that have loads have incentive to work

motheroftwoboys · 27/02/2009 15:57

DS1 (18) and DS2 (16) both get £100 a month but they have to pay for their monthly travelcard - which costs £50. that students in full time education don't get a better deal! I think it very much depends where you live and the sort of things they do. DS1 is mad on films/clubs which both cost a fortune. He has a waiter job but there is not a lot of work around at the moment. DS2 doesn't go out as much and has a paper round. I buy clothes they need - they buy clothes they want. Also pay for their food at school. Be a lot cheaper when they go off to Uni!!

Docbunches · 28/02/2009 21:27

DS aged 13 gets £3.50/week and DD, just turned 12, gets £3/week. For this they have to do basic chores and complete homework without me nagging. Also, no bad behaviour or cheekiness, etc, or they don't get anything.

They can also earn extra for doing bigger jobs.

I sound a bit mean compared to some, but tbh, they always seem to receive a huge amount of money from our many relatives at Xmas and Birthdays. Plus, I still pay for their clothes and outings, etc.

pagwatch · 28/02/2009 21:31

DS1 gets £15 which is £5 more than I would give him but DH was more determined about it than I was. It goes straight into his account and he is 'encouraged' to save

kiddiz · 28/02/2009 22:42

DD, 12 next week, gets £5 a week but that is just for things she wants not essentials. She does have to buy her own mobile top ups with that although she now has the Tesco triple top up thing which I helped her to buy as £15 gives her £45 worth of credit.
Ds2(18) has had a p/t job since he was 16 and has more disposable income each week than I do so gets nothing but a termly bus pass to get him to college and work.

southeastastra · 28/02/2009 22:46

nothing

larry5 · 01/03/2009 14:10

Dd (16) gets £30 a week EMA but that is only for school weeks and she has recently get her £100 bonus for working hard at school. She has to pay for her clothes, phone and outings with that. She saves half of the money as she wants to have driving lessons as soon as she is 17.

I normally buy basic toiletries for her but she buys any makeup and sometimes when she goes out I give her some extra money.

hercules1 · 01/03/2009 14:19

ds 13 gets 5 a week and I do the phone, clothes, cinema etc. His money goes on snacks etc.

sarah293 · 01/03/2009 14:27

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wotsitallabout · 01/03/2009 16:05

DD13 used to get £5 a week if she did chores, homework, tidied room and was not rude to me but as she has done none of these things since September last year she has received nothing since then. She does not even care because she got christmas and birthday money. I'm just waiting to see what happens when that runs out.

lexilou · 01/03/2009 16:56

Ds1 15 gets £5 and Ds2 13 gets £3.50 a week from my ex, they just spend it on tooth decay inducing drinks and sweets.

I started a clothing allowance of £25 a month each, excluding dec and jan, which all their clothes and shoes(except uniform)has to be bought from.

They seem to get loads of toiletries at christmas and birthdays so rarely buy anything like that and christmas and birthday money sees them through most of the year for cinema etc etc.

They have to help with cooking/washing up/cleaning up and looking after/bathing ds3 for nothing! Occasionally bigger jobs like cleaning the car/mowing the lawn might attract a bonus, depends how generous or flush I am feeling!

chenin · 01/03/2009 18:25

gobsmacked at the amount some kids get on here...

£50 a month for a 16 year old????? Why? Why can't they get a job? My kids are older now (20 and 17) but from the age of 14 onwards I bought their clothes and school stuff and they got a job and paid their own way for luxuries, and I consider a mobile phone amongst that. They have always paid their own top ups from what they have earned. Yes, occasionally I spoil them and buy them things but they have to earn....

One of the posts on here had a 17yo getting £70 a week? I am nearly falling off my chair at that... Surely we have to encourage our children into the work ethic...

chenin · 01/03/2009 18:35

Oh and my 17yo has just handed her notice in at her part time job.. she was earning anything up to £50 a week for two shifts.It was her choice to leave. She has saved enough to cope until she starts her new job in 3 weeks time.. she is cutting back until she gets her new pay packet. I dont have to subsidise her except on educational needs and emergencies... in a few months she will be 18 and will understand that you have to work in this world....