Children are in my and my wife's plans for the future. I got to thinking about allowances. Do you give an allowance? If so how much? Do your children earn their "allowance"?

My parents didn't give me an allowance. I got money for making good grades, doing chores, birthday ect, but never an allowance just because.

Mine get no allowance but do get "paid" for doing certain jobs. They also have regular chores that they get no money for.

No allowance needed. Money as a reward or for work is fine.

When I was growing up I got an allowance based of the chores I did. If I didn't do what I was told to do, I got nada.
Isn't that what everyone else is saying. Seems to me to be the same thing.

No allowance, they get free room and board what else is needed?
They want money get a job.

This ^^

no allowance. they learn financial management from watching us. they get to keep some of their birthday/christmas money to spend on whatever they want, but most of the time we get it for them anyway.

As kids, my brother and I had certain chores that we were expected to do no matter what - and these chores were adjusted more or less appropriately as we got older i.e. I had more to do than my little brother did (at the time I thought this was horribly unfair ...)

We had other chores that we could earn allowances with.

'Because you live here' chores were things like keeping our rooms picked up, putting dirty clothes into the laundry basket, making our own beds, keeping our bathroom clean (good idea, didn't work out so well) ... in general, take care of our own stuff.

Paid chores were always housekeeping that freed up time for the folks - mow the yard, mop the kitchen floor, vacuum the house, do the laundry, wash the car, etc.

What has worked very well for us is posting a "bingo" type card on the door. As the kids do various chores or help out around the house, they can put a magnetic "X" on the square that coincides with that item such as wash dishes, clean room, feed the dog, etc. We put a couple of extra Misc quares for those chores not specifically listed like when they help clean the garage or help in the yard (my son is only 8 and daughter just turned 12). When they get a full card, we give them $10. It's usually filled weekly by each of my kids (2). We also give them $2 for each A on their report cards not including, Art, PE and Music. $0 for B's or C's (better not bring home a C, lol).

i didn't get an allowance or did i get paid for odds and ends, i just did what i was told and then when i really wanted something i would work extra hard and my parents would get it. later down the road when i got a job, I herniated two disk in my back when i was 17 and couldn't work any longer, so my parents would give me 20$ a week for lunch, which i would save and use on the weekends for beer.

Nope.... I had routine chores I needed to do because I was part of the family and I was expected to chip in. If I didn't do em, I was grounded..... or worse....

I got paid "allowance" to do extra stuff

mine get alot of stuff related to sports, including nice equipment, travel, dining out and a arseload of our time. they get no allowance

mine get to live

That's the way I handled my kids too. I think my daughter still has every nickel I ever gave her, she's such a cheapskate. ( chip off the old block)

I'd get lunch money and spending money from the parents. Dad's lone criterion was "Don't **** up." It was a pretty broad expectation, but I don't think I crossed it too many times.

Did not give an allowance to either of our boys. If they needed something we would get it for them. If it was a want and not a need we gave them oppratunities to earn money for it( yard work, cleaning, etc. ) They did not want for much and had more than alot of kids.

Given that I start social security a year from now...I like 'em.

I give both of my kids and allowance every Sunday if they earn it. They are learning to manage their own money.

I never got an allowance. We had chores(dishes, laundry, feed dogs, cows, horses, vacuum, sweep, mow). I would mow others' yards for money with my parents' mower. It was always understood that if I had a mowing job that my dad would make time to take me. I think I made more money then than now.

Never had an allowance. If my dad told me to do something I did it. If my mother told me to do something I griped and ended up doing it. They ended up giving me anything I would have bought with cash anyways. Had a part time job in high school so I didn't need an allowance.

I got 3.5 a day. 3 meal's a day and a half of bed at night, was dam glad too!!

Wish somebody would give me one.

I got a certain amount each week for lunch, and then I could earn more by cutting the grass or painting the fence or whatever.

I imagine my kids will get an allowance. Not a lot, but enough so they can go do stuff with their friends every once in a while, or to save for something they want. As long as they keep up with grades and their jobs around the house, and only until working age.

At 16 they get a job or they're out of luck.

This.

Putting a monetary value on chores or good grades sends the message that kids have to receive money for doing things that they should just do because it's the right thing to do. Everyone contributes for the good of the family, you or your wife would not get paid for doing the dishes, why should the kiddo? Schools aren't paying kids for grades, why should you? Advancing to the next level, self enrichment, independence and ultimately successful employment is the reward for good grades, not a few extra bucks when report cards come out. If the little urchins want something, it's up to them to show the initiative to earn some money on their own doing the jobs kids can do.

Not that there's anything wrong with treating them when it's deserved. The most effective, and long lasting reward systems work when they aren't expected. For example, "Surprise, you're getting a puppy because you've been keeping your room clean, doing good in school and haven't inflicted bodily harm on your siblings." In other words we are rewarding you for being a decent human being, but if you want regular money in your pocket get a job.

How are your kids going to afford cigarettes and weed without an allowance?

Nothing wrong with teaching kids how capitalism works.

mine get an allowance and get paid every two weeks. Chores must be done and compplete

Daughter: age 15
dishes - everyday (puts cleans dishes in dishwasher away)
clears table

son: age 14
Trash and recyclables (empites when full and takes weekly out to curb)
sets table

Their bathroom is cleaned weekly, they rotate
Every other week - floors are to be clean one does the vacumming and the other does the tile in kitchen/hallway/dining this is rotated.
Both keep their rooms cleaned
Both wash/dry their own clothes

They get $10 every pay period:

If a chore is not done then they get fined, yes fined. The fine varies from $1 to $5 AND IT IS PAYABLE IMMEDIATELY. Not deduct from pay period. This way they feel the pain of having to pay. Know they can earn the fine back by doing other various things. They have to ask, if they don't then its mine.

The pay was $20 but since I have been laid off, they received a paycut to $10

My son keeps glasses in his room-$1 charge for each glass anytime I walk into his room. He is only allowed 1. I have found up to six. He gets fined for not getting up on time and he has earned it back as well, but only to prove that he can get up if it is necessary LOL.

I try to set it up as a risk reward system.

Respectfully disagree..we are talking about kids not teens. A kids job is to get good grades in school and learn to handle a small work load. They need to learn to manage their money early. Good grades and listening are good things. As an employer I award those that excel not the ones who get by. You would be amazed how their wants change when they know they are spending their own money.