QotD: 17 Apr 2015: Allowances and Earning your own spending money

[SnowFlakey]

Our oldest granddaughter will be 12 soon. Last year we ``hired`` her to cut our lawn front and back for which she got paid. She would have done it for free but we were looking to hire a local kid to do that so why not hire her and pay her. She lives 15 minutes away but one of her parents drive her to our house. Also if one of the other younger grandkids show up, then i ``hire`` them to water my flowers, etc for which they get a twoonie.

Last year our oldest granddaughter saved up all her grass mowing money and bought herself new outfits for school. She was totally thrilled that she had her own money

[beckie.c]

I had what could be considered a fairly generous allowance. It started in Grade 7 when my mom and I fought over brand name clothes now that I was in 'High School'. She decided to give me an allowance and I would have to pay for all of my nice-to-haves like clothing, make-up, hair cuts, special events like going on school ski trips, etc. I quickly learned to balance fashion and budget, because one pair of Silver jeans would have eaten up just over an entire month worth of allowance.

At 14/15, I had 3 different jobs. I was babysitting, waiting tables at the local restaurant and working part time in the summer/fall at the cattle feedlot by our farm weighing silage. I think minimum wage when I started was $6.55. I worked as much as I could because I needed $5000.00 to go on the high school Europe Trip. My Grandpa, bless his soul, spent those two entire summers picking me up from work at the feedlot in the am and drive me into town to work at the restaurant in the pm. This was about the time I stopped getting an allowance since I was pretty self sufficient by that point. My mom and I made the deal that I would pay for Europe and she would cover the costs of my first car when I turned 16.

[abbasgirl]

My sister and I got 50 cents a week when we were little, which we spent on candy at the cornerstone. We weren't good at math, so we would get one item at a time until we were out of money - must have driven the clerk nuts!
When I was old enough, I helped out on the farm, shared by my grandfather, my dad and his brother. We would help bring in the hay during the summer and make a couple hundred per season, which we put into a savings account. When I was a teenager, I babysat for neighbours and families in my church.

[MortgageQueen]

We got an allowance but a modest one. It's funny, but as a child I never even connected it to doing chores. That was just something you had to do. It does I think help kids learn early how to manage money. . or the value of money. Later when I got part time jobs as a teenager, my parents would split the cost of some things, but they always covered any necessities. I remember when I was quite young, saving my allowance to buy my Mom and Dad an anniversary present. I was just bursting with pride that I did it with my "own money". Lol!
I think each family is unique and has to make their own decision on teaching children money skills.