What are your thoughts about allowance

MrsRyan61804 · January 2012

Dh and I were talking about whether Jack with get an allowance when he is older and we were conflicted about it.

I never got an allowance, I was expected to do things like keep my room clean, put my clothes in the laundry, wash dishes etc.

Dh got an allowance, but it was the only way he would ever do anything. Ok, I'll take the garbage out but how much you gonna give me?

We want there to be a happy medium between the two. I want Jack to know there are certain things that he is expected to do, you live in this house and are part of our family therefore you will help out. But also give him the opportunity to do extra things and earn an allowance for doing them.

Just curious how it worked if you earned an allowance growing up, and what your plans are if you plan to give your child an allowance.

KYRN · January 2012

I got an allowance, $5/wk and I didn't get it if I didn't do the basic things (dishwasher, set the table clean my room, etc).

I plan to do something similar, the chores aren't optional. But I also plan to come up with additional chores that can be done to earn additional money.

JustaKidAtHeart · January 2012

We are planning to give an allowance.

The boys will have chores that are their responsibility that they will not be paid for. As being part of a family/house we all have jobs we need to do to keep the house running. The boys will get a small allowance that is not tied to chores. Just a little fun money. If they wish to earn more money they are welcome to ask if they can earn some extra and we will come up with something that needs to be done and a fair price for the job.

If when the boys are old enough and they choose to get a job outside the house (like at McDonalds, provided they keep their grades up) we have discussed charging them rent. This money would be put aside in a savings for them (though they wouldnt know they would be getting it back). BUT we are still discussing it.

I paid rent when I was in high school. I never got an allowance. DH got an allowance. DH didnt work in HS.

LIAngel · January 2012

I remember when I was really little- like 9 or 10, I got an allowance for vacuuming and dusting. When I got a little older, my parents stopped giving me one. I was like WTF??? so when I asked what happened to my allowance, my mom said "Well no one pays me to clean the house so why should I pay you kids".

I don't know if we'll give the kids one. Guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But I would be willing to help them earn money for something they really want. Like if they really wanted a certain toy, well then I'd be willing to say "Clean the bathroom or empty the dishwasher and you'll earn money towards your toy".

LIAngel · January 2012

I think keeping your room clean and setting the table/clearing the table wouldn't warrant an allowance. Vacuuming, dusting, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms would get an allowance.

Kristin&Frank · January 2012

My parents gave my brother his allowance in silver dollars. That way he could see what money he earned and what was given to him by others. I thought that was brilliant!

When I was growing up, my parents gave me the money to buy lunch all week, plus $5. If I needed to buy something else, I had to get up early and pack my own lunch to save the money.

hannah&ben · January 2012

My oldest (13) is the only one who gets an allowance.

She has things she is expected to do (and has been for years, long before allowance) keep her room clean, fold and put away her own laundry and round up the garbage from all the little garbage cans (bathrooms, office, etc) on garbage night. She doesn't get paid for any of this.

Her allowance is earned by doing extra chores - beyond those routine expectations. She gets paid $7 per week, basically $1 per day (and is expected to do 1 'extra chore' per day to get it). She generally earns it by cleaning up the basement family room nightly but sometimes she'll do the dinner dishes instead.

ETA: If there's a day she doesn't do a chore, she doesn't earn a $1 that day. It's not a punishment, not a big deal, totally her choice and sometimes she choses not to (but most days she earns it, like most teens she's highly motivated by money

In addition, her $7 per week is split. She gets handed $5 to whatever she wants with. And I stick the $2 into her 'save' jar - it's big and the lid is glued on

That's 'for the future'. I'm guessing she'll put it towards a car in a couple years. ETA: She's also been taught to put 10% of any money she is gifted (birthdays, etc) into the big jar. It's not a lot but, it's added up through the years.

GuitaristsGirl · January 2012

I have no idea how we'll handle this. I'm sure we'll help them find ways to earn money, if desired, but I don't intend for those ways to be tied to what they need to do as a member of the family.

Growing up, in addition to picking up our rooms, my sister and I cleaned our bathroom regularly, put our laundry away, took turns doing dishes (everyone helped clear the table), alternated vacuuming the upstairs, etc. It wasn't a big deal, it just was.

On the flip side, money (and not having any of our "own") wasn't a big deal because our parents made sure we had what we needed - lunch moneUy and etc. I also think they liked it because they had more knowledge of what we were doing and spending money on

eta: I do remember my sister asking if she could get paid for cutting the grass in high school when my dad traveled a lot. They agreed, because it's something they were paying someone else to do anyway, with dad out of town.

LVBlvd · January 2012

Meh, probably not.

I didn't get one.

Chores won't be optional. So no, "if you do this you get $20." it will be, "you will do this because I said so."

I will give my kids money as needed. I don't think a child needs to have their "own" money until college.

krissyh21 · January 2012

I got allowance for *extra* things I did around the house. For instance, I was expected to clean my room and do my own laundry and each of us had expected chores that were to be done, BUT if I wanted money to go out I had to earn it by vaccuming the downstairs or shoveling the sidewalk etc..

I thought it worked out pretty okay. I made 5 bucks for the extra stuff. Now a days movies are $20 - I am not so sure vaccuming is worth $20 so I may have to rethink that one.

desabean · January 2012

My parents were a bad example, similar to what your dh experienced. But I don't think allowance should ne tied to chores. There are certain expectations and jobs for everyone in the family, it is not an option to not do your chores. Allowance is a way that children should learn about the value of money. They will need to learn to budget/save or go without. So, yes, we will give an allowance.

naflmj · January 2012

I never got an allowance because my mom was a control freak who liked things done her way (I am actually somewhat the same)...I mean, I helped empty the dishwasher, clear the table, etc but no real cleaning or helping cook. I would get paid to mow the lawn but it wasn't a set thing. I never got an allowance but I was given money for things I needed, provided it was reasonable.

All that being said, I think chores and allowance teach kids about responsibility and managing money. We will give our LO's an allowance for basic household tasks in an effort to teach those skills.

LoveMyGirlz · January 2012

We will give them an allowance, mostly so that they get experience with handling money. They will have some chores and can also earn extra money by doing extra work. As they get older they will have more financial responsibilities as well, but I think there's a good lesson in giving them money (save some, spend some, and give some).

AvaLikeLava · January 2012

Suzy Orman has a good suggestion on allowances that I liked: there are chores around your house that you HAVE to do. You don't get paid an allowance. Period. However you could earn money by doing extra things around the home in addition to your chores: there would be a list and each item gets assigned a dollar value. They can choose what to spend their time I based on how much money they want to earn.

I like that idea, but DH and I have t discussed how to handle allowances yet.

Dr.Loretta · January 2012

Everything I've read of late says you shouldn't tie an allowance to chores. You're expected to do chores, period, as part of a family. You are given an allowance to show you how money works and figure out how to save, what to spend on, etc.

We were given an allowance growing up, and I don't remember it being tied to any particular chores. When I hit about 12 or 13, my parents said I was getting a bigger chunk of $ (I think it was $50) per month and I had to use all that to buy fun stuff, while they took care of basics.

ALY1981 · January 2012

I had to help with basic household chores-(ie-empty dishwasher, did my own laundry starting at age 10, set table, help with dishes, etc. for no allowance. I did get an allowance for extra things I helped with like organizing the cabinet, weeding the garden, etc.

PrincessShay80 · January 2012

DH and I will come up with chores and each chore will have an amout- whatever chores are done DD will get the amount a week- so she can choose to make more or less money a week. DH read tpabout this method in one of his finance books he liked it better than an allowence, it gives the child a choice.

I won't make DD save her money for clothes or anything like that- that's my job as her parent. So I'm to too sure why she even needs money, but I think there should be a way for them to earn money and start learning about it.

hopecounts · January 2012

KYRN:
I got an allowance, $5/wk and I didn't get it if I didn't do the basic things (dishwasher, set the table clean my room, etc).
I plan to do something similar, the chores aren't optional. But I also plan to come up with additional chores that can be done to earn additional money.

This it will be payed once a week no advances. If their job (basic chores) isn't done they don't get paid. Opportunities for overtime extra will be available as they come up (like raking leaves, cleaning baseboards, etc.).

It"s how I learned to be responsible with money. I saved my allowance for months to buy my second American Girl Doll.

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