GTKY: How did you get money as a child?

theholmanherd

Did you have an allowance or did you now lawns or babysit?

Also, was there something you saved a long time for or were you more of a 'hole in your pocket' kind of gal?

theholmanherd

I had a $5 a week allowance and got around $50 from each set of grandparents on my birthday. Once I turned 11, I started babysitting once a week instead of my allowance. I made $20 each time.

When I was around 9 or 10, I saved for a year for a Samantha American Girl doll. (Only $5/week then!) I was about a month away when my birthday came up and my grandpa sent me a little extra so I could get the doll for my birthday. I was so careful with her and I still have her in mint condition!

Beyond that purchase, though, I was a saver until I got to high school. I burned through money haha. I'm much better now.

theholmanherd

@NariaDreaming‌ that's awesome! Why did they shut you down?

theholmanherd

NariaDreaming said:

theholmanherd said:

@NariaDreaming‌ that's awesome! Why did they shut you down?

Apparently it's not appropriate to be soliciting funds from your classmates... and we were infringing on the sales of the school bookstore.... 

---quote fail---

Haha! That makes it even better.

modernfairytale8709

It was very important to my Dad that we had an understanding that working hard meant earning money. We did not get a typical allowance. My Dad paid us for doing certain things outside our "normal" chores--which we did not get paid for.

Example:

Helping Dad clean out the barn: $20, but only if we helped the whole day without grumbling and we also didn't grumble about our regular chores. He'd deduct money each time he heard us complaining.

Tough man, my Dad. Wouldn't change him for the world. He's the reason I have a fabulous work ethic today.

ETA: words are fun

kushie77

I held a babysitting monopoly in my neighborhood as I was the oldest one around, there was a boy about a year younger who used to complain that I "hogged" all the babysitting jobs.  I also had extra chores to earn an allowance outside of helping with the normal household stuff.  

I would save part of my money and some of it was what we called "mad money" which was basically pocket money for an ice cream or new nail polish.  

almostamissus

Oh so many things!
I started delivering newspapers when I was 10. I forget how little money I made but even with tips it was not very much.

When I was 12 I started babysitting.
My friend and I started a summer face painting also when I was 12.

And when I was 13, my school had an entrepreneur program where they taught you the skills to run your own business. Basically they gave me $100 as seed and I attending biweekly meetings on how to do costing and bookkeeping! I actually built coatracks that summer.

As a country girl, I've also spent more than my fair share of time working on a potato farm; rock picking, grading, bagging etc. That was HARD work.

I also worked at coffee shop for a year or two in highschool. I was, and still am, definitely a workaholic. It's so satisfying!

athlete010688

We had an allowance when we were kids.  I forget how much...I think it was a $1 for every age we were, or $0.50 for every age we were.  But we were required to split it up 3 ways - 1 for a Christmas fund to buy "gifts", 1 to put in our savings account, & 1 for spending money.  Then when I got old enough, I started baby-sitting.  When I turned 15, I got a job.

I was definitely a saver.  I saved all the way through high school and college.  I was able to pay my parents back for my car my junior year in high school within 1 year.

I still like to save money...DH is definitely a hole in the pocket type of guy.

Danielle0311

When I was young I got an allowance. When I was a little older I started to babysit and then I was working part time by 15 to make some money! I was definitely a hole in my pocket girl lol although I was able to save for my first used car when I was 18!

jaytee16

There were a few years we got a $5 allowance, but for the most part I remember trying to work for my money as best I could.  I would take on additional chores (like raking the leaves) to earn some money.  I also started babysitting for a few families on our street fairly early on.  My dad owned his business, so sometimes he would be able to find odd jobs for me there too - filing or counting inventory, whatever I could do to make some money.

I was a saver, I liked having a stash of money and it was always a little hard for me to spend it - pretty much how I am now.  I used to lend my older brother money to go to the convenience store because he was a hole in the pocket kind of guy!  

gsancho

My mom tried the allowance thing...but then we'd forget, and usually my grandparent or mom let me have money if I needed to go to the movies or something.  I was kinda a boring kid, really.  Once I was 15 I started working at a school uniform store and was able to save up and do more.

Pintobean39

I got an allowance.  It started out as $5 a week then upped to $10 a week.  When I turned 15 and started driving my mom upped it to $20 a week.  This also had to pay for my lunches at school and any snacks that I wanted anything left over was mine to keep.  So basically if I wanted money I would give up my coke and reeses cups at recess.  Once I got to HS I quit eating lunch because I needed gas money for the weekends.  My mom also gave us a set amount of money each season for clothes and of course I couldn't afford clothes from the limited or express with that allowance so I would baby sit to earn extra money.  I also worked at a snowball stand for a little while but I was so active in school and extra curriculum it was hard to keep that job.

ETA: I was also a huge saver.  I actually love money, no wonder I became an accountant.

theholmanherd

These stories are fascinating! One of my friends got like $20 or $40 a week or something when we were in high school. I was always so jealous because I had to babysit every week for that kinda money. LOL Although, I really shouldn't complain because my parents took care of most of our wants and needs. They even bought extra food to take to school instead of buying lunches there.

ky29

Naria - that's awesome & pretty funny!

I babysat - mostly for one family.  Basically it was every Friday night, then many full days during the summer. I was in middle school & they paid very well. I usually always saved up my money, then spent it on friends and family during Christmas time.  I loved being able to do that.

jaztastic

We didnt get an allowance and we didnt get money for chores and good grades... these were just requirements as a kid in my house growing up. We asked for what we wanted and if the parents saw fit, we got it, if not... the answer was no and you moved on. 

We got money for different holidays (Christmas, birthdays, easter...etc) and family would give you money when they saw you or for the same holiday/event cycle. But it was all pretty random. 

Eventually I started babysitting around 12, and was a summer camp assistant starting at 13,  and I had a candy store/stand. And then I got a real job at 15. lol and by 16 I was working 2 jobs and going to school. 

jessimi06

I would get paid to do random extra chores (besides my weekly ones) around the house and would babysit.

I was a total saver- I'd buy something every now and then, but its how I saved up for my first car .

katib77

I got an allowance for doing my weekly chores (making my bed and keeping room clean when I was little - as I got older they added to it.  House garbage, sweeping entry and kitchen twice a week, lawn car etc.)  But I also started babysitting when I was 12 (I looked older for my age and it turns out my most steady client thought I was in high school the first two years until he asked if I was going to prom and I said "I'm an 8th grader!"  and he was like, "And we've been letting you watch our kids?! Oh well, I guess since you've done such a good job too late now." LOL.)

And yes, in 8th grade I saved my allowance and babysitting money for $100 for a leather jacket.

jaco0207

Fun question!

I think I got a small allowance when I was young, but it did not amount to much. 

My two bffs and I started with kool aid stands by a busy city lake we lived near around the age of 9. Around that same age, I was a mother's helper to a neighbor, and close family friend who adopted a daughter, I ended up baby sitting her for years. 

My bffs and I started babysitting together at about age 10 or 11, we put up signs in the neighborhood drug store and got several regular customers. We babysat in pairs of two and split the amount we made. It shocks me today that (a) my parents allowed me to babysit at age 11 for complete strangers, and (b) those strangers trusted us to care for their children!

I babysat until I was 17, then worked in retail until college. 

I was a spender, my friends and I went to buy candy (crazy amounts of candy) when we were younger, and shopping at the local mall when we were older. 

jjgrl55

I had a very small allowance from my parents, but they would usually forget to give it to me. It wasn't a huge deal, as I didn't have much interest in buying new stuff until I hit high school, and I got a job as soon as I could. My parents usually went a little crazy for Christmas, so that's how I got all of my new stuff. That and back-to-school clothes shopping.

I did try out little business ventures as well. In fifth grade, I was a semi-decent artist and my mother had bought me a ton of gel pens (yeah, anyone remember those babies?) and so I started a "tattoo" business in class. Unfortunately I mostly spent it on candy and soda, but it was a surprising amount of money. I think the most expensive was a dollar for a "sexy" girl I would draw on the boys arms. I think they were mostly paying to get me to touch their arms for an extended period of time, though!

BunnyBerry

Birthdays, Christmases. Almost daily regular babysitting starting in 8th grade. Random $5 bills for extra helping out at home - window washing, babysitting siblings, helping in the garden. No set allowance. Sometimes "here's $5 for coffee with your friends" when I was in high school, but for the most part I paid for all clothes, activities, etc. starting around 13 years old.

Alicia_R1

$10 a week for doing regular chores

$40 for mowing, we had a large yard

$10 for cleaning the pool

baby sitting and mowing neighbors yards

mrskovarik

I got some money for doing chores but it wasn't a set dollar amount per week. Otherwise I babysat, and when I was really young, when my mom would have a garage sale, my sister and I would sell lemonade. I was a big saver but it's because my mom bought us pretty much anything we needed and wanted