Pocket money is one of those issues that all parents do differently. Personally, I’ve always been very torn about linking it with chores because I feel that chores should be done as part of family life rather than being rewarded. On the other hand, I want my children to understand that money has to be earned in life. Currently, my oldest gets £1 a week and my youngest gets 50p (although she has just informed me that now she is 8, she should get an increase) and they don’t have to do anything for the money. They also get some money from grandparents from time to time. I decided to ask some other parent bloggers how they manage their older children’s pocket money.
Linking Pocket Money to Behaviour
While some parents require certain chores to be done before pocket money is granted, for others it’s more about meeting behavioural expectations.
“My 9 year old gets £5 per week providing his behaviour is good and he does a couple of daily chores. Within lockdown we have had a chart showing how much he has earned and I keep it (as don’t really have cash laying around at the moment). We started when he was 8, and now he is doing the chores more consistently looking to get a pre-paid child card for him so he can use it on roblox.” Faith from MeBeGeek
“My 11 year old gets £5 a week if he’s done everything that’s expected of him. Making his bed in a morning, cleaning his teeth without being asked, completing his homework etc. He gets a bonus if he’s done well at school (certificates or special achievements). We give him cash on a Friday and he saves some and spends some.” Jennifer from Mighty Mama Bear
“My 13 gets pocket money. He gets £5 a week depending on whether he’s done his chore of the week, tidy room, homework done and a good week at school. He gets deducted money if things aren’t done or he gets minus points at school.” Katie from Five from the Switch
A Basic Allowance with the Chance to Earn Extra
Some parents provide a set figure each week but then offer the chance to earn more by doing chores.
“I have a 7 and 10 year old and they both get pocket money through their Gohenry accounts. They currently only get £1 a week as standard, with additional money added to their card if they do something to help out such as tidying their rooms, tidying or hoovering they lounge, helping their youngest sibling etc.” Emma-Louise from Even Angels Fall
Using Tech to Keep on Top of Pocket Money
There are lots of ways tech can help you manage pocket money these days. It’s definitely something I need to consider because I often forget to pay the pocket money or have no cash to do it!
“I use an app called Rooster which automatically adds their allowance. My 9 year old gets £1 a week and my 11 year old gets £1.50 a week. Then they can see what they have and spend how they want. It’s all virtual and it’s a free app. I love it because I never forget!” Jenny from Life and the Lords
“My girls (7 & 9) get pocket money for light chores, around £3.00/week, plus they always add their tooth fairy money into their accounts too. Sometimes daddy rewards them for extra effort on school work or helping out at home etc. They have Nimbl Pocket money accounts. The app on my phone has separate accounts for each of them. They have a savings account and a debit card account as standard. It’s £2/month fee each which I pay. They have debit cards each too and I get an alert every time they spend money.” Carly from Mom of Two Little GirlS
“I’ve just created a Gohenry account for my 8YO. He will be getting £1 a week. This amount will increase to £1.50 if he takes on more responsibilities for himself like reading, tidying up his bed every morning, clearing the table after his meals.“ Yvette from Uplifting and Inspiring Content
Encouraging Saving
Spend some, save some was what my Mum always told me and it’s something I’d like my children to learn too.
“My 9yo started getting pocket money age 8 when he said he wanted to have it to start saving up for a specific item. We set out an agreement where he had to do 3 morning routine things I struggled to get him to do (pj’s upstairs, morning teeth and put breakfast stuff away). He does that for at least 5 days for £2. He can negotiate extra pocket money on top for other chores although that’s rare unless he’s getting close to his target. Mostly he just helps put when asked. He’ll sometimes get paid for clearing up after the dogs when his grandparents are away and for helping on the farm. He gets cash once its built up a bit. It goes in his pot towards big items (his bought his xbox and is now saving for stermering wheel kit for it). I think it teaches him the value of money and how to long term save rather than always opting for short term benefits and relying on other people giving him monetary gifts.” Emma from Bubba Blue and Me
So there you have a selection of pocket money rates and requirements for getting it. Before writing this post, I thought I might have been being a bit tight by only giving £1 a week but that seems to be a pretty common amount. While I don’t think I want to link pocket money to behaviours like brushing teeth or clearing the table, I think I might identify some chores that can be done if a child wants to earn some extra cash. Hopefully that will give me the best of both worlds.
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