Comments on: Chores and Allowance for Kids

By: maxine

maxine — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 20:33:34 +0000

I started to get an allowance at 5. I got $5 a week, but the first week of the month went into “savings”. When I turned 10, I got $10, and then when I turned 15, I started to get $15. By that point I had a job and didn’t collect as often as I could have. Our “savings” account was given to us around Christmas time so we could buy family members presents. I only have one brother, who is 3 years older than me, and he was on the same schedule. Chores were done regardless of allowance, but payday was Sunday, as was chore day, and we knew to ask for allowance AFTER our chores were done so we could get it with no hassle. Our chores were taking the recycling out, folding laundry, taking care of the dogs, and keeping our rooms clean.

By: Joan Chovanec

Joan Chovanec — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:29:10 +0000

Hello, I just found your site and this article helped me a lot, thanks. Simply want to say your article is as tonishing.

By: Teaching Your Children About Money: Where it Comes From and How to Handle it

Teaching Your Children About Money: Where it Comes From and How to Handle it — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:39:28 +0000

[...] DON’T give them an allowance, which teaches them that they deserve money simply by existing. We paid our children for the chores that we expected them to do. Of course the chores were appropriate for their ages. You will need to [...]

By: Amy from Texas

Amy from Texas — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:54:25 +0000

I’m going to be giving a presentation about this to a group soon. I’ll send you the link when I get it on my blog.

My kids are 5 and 2 and they have been getting money for chores like feeding the cat, picking up their toys, not whinning, not hitting, sharing, getting dressed, etc. My goal is to teach them about money at a young age while also getting them to behave:-) It’s working great for my 5 year old. I got this from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Jr. He says if you just give them money, they don’t learn about the importance of earning a dollar. We make sure to take the money they get and put in 3 envelopes. Save, Spend and Give. My son gets excited to give to the church. I’m glad, because I still have a hard time with that one! ha.

Amy from Texass last blog post..Gravatar Lesson

By: Jill

Jill — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:06:04 +0000

I have a four-year old and she doesn’t get an allowance. I don’t plan to give her one when she gets older because I feel that she should contribute to the chores because she is part of the family (I also have the same expectation of my husband, by the way!!!). We have daily chores (make the beds, put stuff away, clean up after dinner etc.) and weekly chores that we always do on Sun a.m. (change bed linens/empty garbage in bathrooms/clean bathrooms/wash floors etc., etc. etc.,). On a daily basis, I want her to put her toys away (ongoing struggle), set the table with my/my husband’s help and put her dish on the kitchen counter afterwards. She also “helps” me with chores like making supper, tidying up and making the beds –although it is more like “following me around” vs. actually contributing at this point. On a weekly basis, she is responsible for completely tidying up her toy room (vs. an “ok” job the rest of the week) and also she “helps” me with the rest of the chores. I think our kids are the same age, right? What do you do? I have no idea of my expectations are too high or too low!!

Jills last blog post..Happy Halloween from my house to yours!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:35:38 +0000

My husband, kids and myself recently watched Suze Orman talking about money and kids on Oprah. She brilliantly recommended ten cents a minute – something my 9 and 11 year old jumped at. Suze said that the current minimum wage comes out to be about that, and I hoped this would help my boys understand how long it takes to earn a buck. My 11 year old also earns $15 a week for doing yard work for his grandma. The first few months he blew it quickly, including splurging on candy for the girls in his class one time, but he eventually caught on.

By: Megan

Megan — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:42:28 +0000

Hi, I’ve come via Le @ thirdontheright.com.

I have had many failed pocket money/allowance schemes with my kids. It wasn’t that the kids wouldn’t do the chores but that I wasn’t good at keeping it all together – the money, the chores etc.

In the last few weeks we have settled on a system that seems to be working. My kids are 8 and 10 and now have things they want to save for so I tell them that provided they make their bed, pull up their blinds and come downstairs dressed and ready for school without asking every day I will give them $5 per week to spend on whatever they wish. The point, for us, is that I’m not tying payment to chores as such but explain that if they contribute to the family in a small age-appropriate way then they, like me, will have their own money to spend. It’s not too onerous for them and it really helps me out. So far it’s working a treat.

Megans last blog post..Halloween Scots-style

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:21:34 +0000

Starting when my son was about 5 we gave him $5 a month that was not tied to chores or behavior. It was a dollar per year. BUT he had to give 10% to tithe and 50% to his college fund. Sounds harsh but when he was little he didn’t realize and once he got old enough to complain I pointed out that as frustrated as he was at having to save for college, when he was the only kid there with plenty of pizza money he’d be thanking me. We invested the college money in stocks that he chose, Nike, Target, Coke, Pepsi, Dreamworks and others.

He turned 14 in August, I switched up and started giving him $150 a month which includes the money I was spending on his cell phone and his clothing budget. He gets to decide where and when to shop and since he was going over budget on his phone, he has suddenly realized that going over minutes means he can’t buy the new hoodie or sneaks he wants. BIG eye opener!

By: Sara(MamaGoesGreen)

Sara(MamaGoesGreen) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:54:04 +0000

I am so glad you posted this! We just started allowances for my kids, but I am still confused as to exactly how to enforce it all. We have an 8 and 6 yrold that get $5/wk. They have to save and tithe, which leaves them with $3.50/wk. I think this teaches them real fiscal responsibility! My problem has always been that when I have extra money it burns a hole in my pocket, and I am terrible about saving and giving!
My question is…do you decide what your kids can buy? Of course they want instant gratification, but the only thing you can buy for $3.50 is candy or crap from China! I don’t know how to give them this responsibility, but then manage it. Where do I go hands off, ya know? My 2 boys share most of their toys, and now they have started trying to combine their money to buy something collectively. But the stronger of the 2 personalities usually wins out on what to buy. I don’t think this is good either….sigh! It was certainly easier before allowances!
But as far as chores go, we have a list of family chores that are part of being in the family. We will pay extra for yard and garden work, but already they are doing dishes, starting laundry, putting clothes away, washing the car, and cleaning the bathroom.

By: Julia @ Hooked on Houses

Julia @ Hooked on Houses — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:37:54 +0000

In order to reduce the amount of whining around here whenever I ask my kids to do chores, I took away their set allowances and started paying them per chore. Now I assign jobs with amounts I will pay them for doing them and it’s working great.

For example, I’ll post the job, “Empty dishwasher, 50 cents.” They are responsible for buying any toys they want, so they have to work to make the money for them. It has really helped with motivation around here!

My kids are 13 and 6, and this works especially well with my teenager.

Julia @ Hooked on Housess last blog post..Fun Halloween Decorating Ideas