Mommy, I cleaned my room, give me my $5, please!

[Zeffy]

I get a daily allowance, if I've had good grades. I call it "A dollar a day, keeps my grades so high".
Although, sometimes I get my money from my own work: that is a job.

 

[Guillermo]

Meh. I just get stuff bought for me. I had an allowance for a little while but I decided it sucked, so instead I just ask my father to buy me various things.

 

[loliwin]

Its good to get bonuses for something you did well! XD

 

[Cherrim]

I think an allowance is important. Early on, it teaches them about money. A child with an allowance will quickly understand that in order to buy something, they have to save up for it. They'll learn that if they want that game, or they want that big toy, they can't spend their allowance all on little things like candy or trading cards. It may not teach the exact value of a dollar, but it definitely prepares them for things like budgeting and being responsible with their money.

Now I don't think kids should be paid for their chores--but that's not what I view an allowance as. It's kind of a half-empty, half-full thing. A kid does chores for the week and at the end of the week, receives money. They could be paid for work that they should be doing anyway or they could be rewarded for a job well done [for work that they should be doing anyway]. And as more and more responsibilities are added onto a child's "workload" (ie, at a very young age, they set the table; as they get older/taller, they can start unloading the dishwasher and putting dishes away where they can reach, etc.), more can be added to the allowance too. Show them that if they're old enough to take on new responsibilities around the house, they can also prove themselves more responsible with money. It's all about learning lessons, imo.

Sure, if you don't get an allowance and still have to do your chores, you'll understand that they're things that you just have to do (whether out of respect for the home your parents run or because you realize it's just a necessity). But when your parents buy you all of your things, when you hit the real world and realize things cost money and have no idea how to budget your funds very well, it's a pretty big step. :/

I actually think people don't learn the value of a dollar until they have their own job and/or pay their own bills. Allowance doesn't help that much with that. :/ That and once a kid gets a job, they shouldn't get an allowance. :/ I know people who have jobs and STILL get money on a weekly/monthly basis from their parents. So they have all this extra spending money and they'll never learn to save up or anything because why should they? They have disposable income! But for learning to budget/save up/not spend everything at once? An allowance is great to teach that skill early on.

it looks like i'm contradicting myself all over the place in this post. i need to come edit it later argh. xD;

 

[Bluerang1]

Allowance yes. Allowance for working no. It's our room, so we should keep it tidy and hygienic for our safety. Then again, it's our room, so we shouldn't have to clean it up, since it's ours. And I've learnt, they cook, get us stuff, and all that, the least we could do is help around the house (coming from a hypocrite xD)

 

[TRIFORCE89]

I actually think people don't learn the value of a dollar until they have their own job and/or pay their own bills. Allowance doesn't help that much with that. :/ That and once a kid gets a job, they shouldn't get an allowance. :/ I know people who have jobs and STILL get money on a weekly/monthly basis from their parents. So they have all this extra spending money and they'll never learn to save up or anything because why should they? They have disposable income! But for learning to budget/save up/not spend everything at once? An allowance is great to teach that skill early on.

it looks like i'm contradicting myself all over the place in this post. i need to come edit it later argh. xD;

I haven't had a job (looking though!) and am ultra stingy and frugal. I know other people who haves jobs and had an allowance at a young age and spend more than they make. So....

 

[Rich Boy Rob]

I get pocket money every fortnight as a given, not for doing chores. I think kids should get pocket money, as how else would they ever be able to buy anything? I mean unless you just begged a parent to buy whatever it is you wanted for you (which in my opinion is worse) or you'd have to wait till you were 16 and able to get a job.

 

[Sneeze]

I agree with pocket money, rewarding good behaviour is better than punishing bad in my opinion.

 

[Andraya]

I've seen both sides of this. When I was younger, I recieved money for cleaning my room...But I also stopped recieving money for school. Although I had a little more than what I usually would get, I would still feel good with myself. That lasted for about two years. Now my parents just give me some money when I go shopping for food or when I wash their cars.

With my sister, things are a little different. Now we have an housekeeper, so she does not have to worry with cleaning her room as much as I had. My parents, at the beginner at the year, set a goal: if you have "x" fives (or A's), then you will get "something" (basically, my sister just asks for All Stars). So, for the whole year, she works with that in mind. Like an adult who works to recieve their pay.

Maybe it wouldn't work with other kids? Maybe. But this system worked with both me and my sister. Both of us know how to manage money and imagine how much our parents had to work to get it. We always think twice before spending it.

I really think it's an important lesson that should be learned as soon as possible!

P.S.: Forgive me for my mistakes. I'm not a native speaker.

 

[Muffin™]

I hate it. Guess what? I'm 11 and I get 80$+tips on Saturday+Sunday every week from selling my local newspaper.


Now that is some REAL money.

 

[Yusshin]

I never had an allowance. I don't mind that fact either; my dad would buy me what I want / need anyway.

I do believe an allowance teaches a sense of responsibility, though. It helps children become associated with the value of money. A lot of kids nowadays take money for granted until they're 24 and living on their own after college. Their money-handling and budgetting skills are terrible by that time because of neglect.

So I'm all for giving an allowance. It lets kids focus on school and not a job, too, which is good. They'll feel rich having earned 10$/week anyway.

 

[Reginaldvonburger]

Personally, I would like to get allowance.
More or less all the kids in my class get EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) and get about £30 a week. I on the other hand don't get any money.

I know that these jobs I do I should do any way but it's not really fair that I have to decide whether I get either food, the train or something I actually want when I go out with my mates, when they're all walking around with £100 in their pockets and buying useless crap.

 

[Dawn]

Allowance is not cleaning your room necessarily. In fact, I don't see why that was even brought up. You can't be in-between. If parents want to do it and they're allowed to they will and it's okay. So there's really no middle ground here.

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

I used to get an allowance for household chores, but never for cleaning my room. Hence, my room rarely got cleaned.

I just wish I wasn't stuck with the 25 year old broom where some of the bristles would fall off every time I used it...

 

[Katie_Q]

right now my parents give me $80 a month :O I have to do house work, but it's stuff I should do anyway (cleaning my room, cleaning MY bathroom and toilet, dishes, looking after my dogs etc.). But I don't get the money for doing chores. They say it's because it's just the way the budget works. So they keep giving it to me. I'm trying to get a job though, so maybe then they'll spend that $80 a month on something more useful. We're in a lot of debt, they probably shouldn't be wasting money on a crazy teenaged girl.
I've always gotten an allowance for jobs I should be doing. I think it was good for me to have my own money, because I had to pay for things I wanted, so I learnt not to go to my parents every time I wanted a cool new toy, or book, or game. And, despite the fact that I was doing jobs I should be doing anyway, it taught me that you have to work for money.

 

[Sydian]

I don't get an allowance. Never have, never will. But if I did, I'd have to pay for all my food and whatnot. I'm good at saving my money, though. I still have Christmas money, actually. I'm kinda against it though for the reasons Erica says. I don't think much can be learned if money is just given to you, and I know some people whose parents just give them money. My mom gave me and my sister $5 to split at Relay for Life (raises money for cancer) last week since she knew we didn't have ours. I freaked out about getting just $5 cause I normally don't get any.

But back on topic, not really for it. It's like one big crutch imo.

 

[Billy Mays Barbeque Sauce]

If you do something, say, that for your age, is pretty difficult, such as raking a yard full of leaves when you're 6, you should be rewarded. Not with money, but maybe praise and a favorite meal or extended video game time.

I was never given an allowance when I was younger, I just received money for my birthday and holidays.

 

[Stairmaster]

You shouldn't get paid for cleaning up after yourself. Don't want to clean? Don't mess things up.

 

[Neurotripsy]

I think a small allowance should be given so the kid learns how to handle & save money. I'm against rewarding everyday tasks with money or bribing them into studying, though.

 

[Reddo]

I've never had allowance... but I'm still for it.
If I had it (even a few coins) I would have done my tasks more willingly, and my high school years wouldn't be so heavy.