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

[danger_dan]

[Natalka]

I don't remember what age, but I got 35 cents a week. A movie was 25 cents and popcorn was 10 cents - so that was one way that money could go. Otherwise, chips and chocolate bars were 10 cents at the store, popsicles were seven cents.

I started babysitting at 10, and was getting 35 cents an hour, so I imagine my allowance probably ended then.

I started working at the library when I was 12, making minimum wage of $2.25/hr.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I never received an allowance from my parents. There were chores you were just expected to do without compensation because you were a member of the family. Having said that, they did give us money for extras when we really wanted something.

At 15 I got my first job (pretty sure minimum wage was $6.85 back then) and used that money to buy what I wanted.

[Shwa Girl]

I never received an allowance from my parents. There were chores you were just expected to do without compensation because you were a member of the family. Having said that, they did give us money for extras when we really wanted something.

At 15 I got my first job (pretty sure minimum wage was $6.85 back then) and used that money to buy what I wanted.

same here
no allowance
we were told, " anything you need, we will provide"
babysitting, but they chose the homes and only Friday or Saturday evening. After one babysitting incidence where I was driven home by a drunk father, parents were more careful.

worked from age 15 during the summer and had to save all the money for post secondary (parents did not pay for post secondary -- parents paid for occasional TTC pass or GO pass)
was not allowed to work during school because, "school is your job and your grades are your payment"

[harbie]

Never got an allowance as a kid but that wasn't because my parents didn't give me the option, I just never did my chores consistently to earn one no but seriously we didn't get one because there just wasn't any money for it.

I did the usual babysitting when I was younger to take the burden off my parents for when I wanted fun money. Then I worked a mall job and then CT. Yay

[walkonby]

no allowance, there was no money for that nonsense. I moved out at 17 and started working full time, end of story.

[Natalka]

I never received an allowance from my parents. There were chores you were just expected to do without compensation because you were a member of the family. Having said that, they did give us money for extras when we really wanted something.

At 15 I got my first job (pretty sure minimum wage was $6.85 back then) and used that money to buy what I wanted.

Agreed with the concept - we didn't get allowance for chores or grades (as some families did, too), and we did the same for our son when he was young.
It was to teach money management and budgeting, and it sure worked!

[saddlebag]

There was no allowance....but I got basically whatever I wanted

there are chores here with my kids that are just expected, DS just finished his first year of university, that he paid for himself, not that we couldn't afford to, but, for the simple reason we as parents feel too many young people feel money just falls freely into their hands, he's the same, he works two jobs, and on pay day, he doesn't know how fast to spend it....but, we hope that this way he will hopefully understand that he has to prioritize his money...he also has a car, and auto insurance...so he really has to budget....hopefully it will all pay off in the long run

[coupon girl]

-we never got allowance -just a bit of change money for the corner store -we had chores too the dishes , making beds ,garbage etc my brother always tried to weasel out of the dishes thou
i was babysitting at age 11-so opened a bank account at age 12 and saved half of what I made or even more
-we didnt give our kids allowance they both babysat him and her at age 12 -thy had bits of spending money-but as they got a bit older like 13 -for example if they wanted 90.00 jeans they had to pay half

[Shwa Girl]

-for example if they wanted 90.00 jeans they had to pay half

when I wanted the latest look for back to school, was allowed to take some money from the last pay check of the summer
funny, when it was my hard earned money, I looked around for deals, and bought the latest look in October, not September, because then it was on sale

[dededi]

No allowance in my house, my parents both worked just to feed my 3 brothers and my sister. They had a mortgage and lots of bills so we had to make our own way to get the extras. We all did chores around the house and thinking back were thankful for what we had. My parents didn't give us a lot but Christmas was always a big event and they didn't spare anything to make all of us happy. I had a part time job at 15 so I could get the extras i wanted. Life was great then.

[cookoo]

Received lunch money during elementary/secondary school years. Earned my own spending money during high school years working in a popular restaurant in town. Dat's all.

[xox2010]

No allowance growing up. Got my first job at 16 and started paying for my bus pass, school stuff etc.

[SnowFlakey]

We Started giving an allowance for chores done but somehow that didnt work out. So we stopped it.

[dahliagrower]

We didn't get allowance as kids either .... it was expected that we each had a weekly/daily task .... dishes/vacumning/bathroom cleanup/meal prep/lawn .... both parents worked and with 4 kids always lots to do; if we were going camping - we each got a bit of coin that could be spent at the store on a bag of candy; ..... at age 12/13 I did babysitting -in the neighbourhood - parents knew where I was - didn't need to be driven there or home..... that was back when you got $1/hr for sitting (and that was considered decent )

With our DS .... he does the vacumning --- has always helped out with either inside or outside chores - but not for money .... He has had odd jobs and always has had some funds in his bank (work, birthdays etc) to put towards larger purchases - new bike, computer stuff -- we've always insisted with the larger ticket stuff - he pays a portion - sometimes half. That way there is a buy-in that he needs to look after it. For the most part it's worked. If he had been a kid that always wanted "brand name" clothes shoes etc - we might have changed how we handled it. If we had said you'll get $10 each week for doing x,y,z - he would have just said I don't need it..... As part of a family and being a member in a house - you need to contribute to getting stuff done - imho.