What Is the Average Allowance?

I have 2 daughters, 13 & 9 years old. They are responsible for making their own beds, keeping their clothes picked up off the floor and in the dirty clothes hamper, bringing their clean clothes up from the basement (I take the laundry out of the dryer and put it in their respective baskets and they are responsible for bringing it upstairs and putting it away), the oldest empties the dishwasher twice a week, the youngest sweeps twice a week, they are both responsible for emptying trash in their rooms and one bathroom twice a week and also brushing their dogs every other day and they take turns cleaning the yard. We have a chart of what needs to be done on what days and they can do extras as well. We do tie their allowance into the amount of work they do. We tell them that our house works just like the real world and if you don't want to work, you don't get paid. They get paid 50 cents per chore (although, the ones I really don't want to do myself are worth $1 each). We total it up at the end of the week. They can earn up to $30 per week. (keep reading - don't freak out on me yet) The kids get 50% of what they earned, 10% goes to their tithe and 40% goes into their savings. They buy their own clothes, shoes, camp fees, presents for friends birthday parties, etc. out of their savings. It has taught them the importance of saving and also money management.

I would recommend somewhere in the ballpark of $10-$11 per week. This is still enough to have a little spending money for little stuff bit it's still small enough that he will learn how to save and budget accordingly if he wants something bigger. One thing that worked with me as a kid was to offer the opportunity of earning smaller chunks of cash to add to his allowance by doing extra stuff around the house like an extra dollar for each piece of furniture dusted or $2 for vacuuming the living room carpet, etc. It might give him an incentive to help around the house more. This really worked for me back then. (when I was little I got $5 a week and $1 per completed chore) Something kinda silly that we did when I was a kid was my mom started joking that she needed a foot rub so I volunteered to do it if she payed me so I charged her 'a buck a foot'. She still tries to get me to do it for her without raising the rate and I tell her to go jump in a lake LOL (we both get a good laugh from that). Hope this helps.

This article offers some guidelines on how much to pay:
http://life.familyeducation.com/allowance/money-and-kids/...

I would also suggest you keep in mind that an allowance should not be tied it into any specific chores. Some chores are required to make the household run smoothly and everyone in the family must help with no pay. Chores for pay are chores that go beyond normal day to day running of the household.

Hello,
I have 2 daughters age 13 & 7. The 13 year old receives $7.00 per week. I honestly do not remember how we cam up with that amount. She has to do dishes daily, take trash out twice a week, fold laundry and keep her room clean. It is a constant challenge to keep her doing her chores. Sometimes I think it would be easier to do it myself but I want her to participate. Any ideas??? My 7 year old has a chore chart and gets a sticker for each job. She then receives 20 cents per sticker each week. She does things like clear the table, pick up the dog poop in the yard, crush cans (she also gets to keep the money when we turn them in), cleans her room, get the newspaper off the lawn each day, she also has a section for bonus stickers when she does other odd jobs. She usually averages about $2.00 per week. Again, it is a challenge to remind her to do some of the things. I keep thinking of the things I had to do as a child for free because it was just part of being a family! Of course my daughters say that was in the "olden days" and I probably had to walk to school in a foot of snow! I can't wait to hear other ideas...

B., What I would suggest is to talk it over with him. Give him a lead into the idea, like, "Well, I was thinking about an allowance for you because you are getting older and it is time for you to have your own money. So, will sort of be like getting paid for a job. Your Dad and I could seriously use the help, too! So, maybe you can give me an idea of what you feel comfortable doing consistantly every week to earn the allowance?" In my experience with kids (and memories of myself at that age!) they will either totally slack off and shoot low in their ideas, or they will go over the top and promise to paint the garage every Saturday!

I think what he does now, maybe with an additional little bit could be worth $5-7. But ask him if he thinks that is fair. When you take a job, you can take it or leave it based upon pay, so it isn't fair for kids to just be pushed into paid servitude. No work, no pay off! If he wants to start there, let him know that there is more where that came from if he chooses to kick in a bit more effort. I have to imagine if you stick to the "Sorry, you need to save your own money for that" guns, he will eventually want to earn more faster.

I think that the point is that he needs to be part of the decision making process and planning if you expect it to have any long term hold. If it is all your idea, it is just another chore, you follow? I hope everything goes well for you! Good luck!! And know that it may not work out. You can't force him to earn money. But, he also doesn't have to have any when you go to the store, either. :)

I have to be perfectly honest with you. I guess I am raising my kids in the 'olden days' because my kids (12 & 14) have chores to do each day and I do not pay them anything. I am a single mother and can not afford to pay my kids an allowance. Both of my children do their own things out side of the house to earn money. My 12 year old son walks dogs. He earns anywhere form $5 per walk to what ever the change is that the owners have in their pockets. My 14 year old daughter babysits. I think that as a family, it is OUR job to keep things in order at home. I do not know if an allowance is necessary. My kids earn their own money their own way and therefore have a feeling of what it takes to earn the money. They also know how long it takes to save up enough to buy something special. My kids use to think all you had to do was drive through a bank to get money, now they know better.

Sorry if I am not any help to you, I just wanted to share the things that we have done.

Good luck and take care,
M.