I got an allowance until I was 16. But it wasn't like most kids I grew up with where it was just their free-for-all money. I really had to work for this cash! We're talking paint the outside of the house and re-plant the garden in the spring type of work. But once I got a job, I could do a lot less work for more money.

wow. I have been working since I was 13 and never ever got an allowance before that. Sure it was just babysitting but it was my money that I earned and I learned quickly how to manage it. I have been working (legally with taxes lol) since I was 16.

I got an allowance for chores that were assigned to me. I don't agree at all with just giving kids money for the sake of just giving it to them. They need to learn how to earn things. And I would stop giving my kids allowance (once I have kids) once they're old enough to get a job.

NO allowances, only what you earn by doing jobs other than regular chores. I dont believe in giving children cash for nothing, and chores are not for pay.

I dont watch shows like that because its so completely unrealistic and really just sick to see a tv show that advocates the way they act and treat other human beings.

i never had an allowance- of course i never had any chores. my parents would give me money sporadically to go to the mall with my friends, and i always gave back what i didn't spend. i got a job at age 15 i think at a day camp- so then i had my own money to spend!

I think you should get an allowence until you get a job, which should be as soon as your able. I started having a paper route at like 10 (which SUCKED) but have been working ever since then. I bought my first car by myself. Of course I was jealous of the kids with the new cars and extra cash, but that's life. Someone will always have more than you.

I agree that kids should learn about the power of earning money, and I definitely think that the everyday chores of running a house should be unpaid. No one is gonna pay you to do the dishes or vacuum when you have your own house, you have to just do them! But above-and-beyond tasks, like weeding the yard, picking up fruit, etc, or painting like monday said, those kind of things should be eligible. And I agree that once a kid has their own income source, parental allowances should taper off. But, like my parents, I don't plan on allowing my kids to get jobs during highschool (except during summertime), since school is more important than money. And I wouldn't expect my kids to pay for things they need, like school clothes or lunches, with their own money. That should be for stuff I wouldn't normally get them, like an extra pair of shoes they just want but don't really need.

Renees3~ I have friends here at work who still have their family pay for their car insurance. Really. You're 24 years old. I think it's time to pay your own bills now.

I think as long as children are in school and working hard at their studies, if parents can afford to pay their cost of living they should. This does not mean a college or highschool student cant get a job for supplemental income - but working hard at school is a top priority (and determines their later earning power) and is a full time job (and thus earning their money).

I never got an allowance and to be honest I probably won't give me kids one. I think they should learn to take on responsibility without thinking everything they do deserves a reward.

I say 14, 15, or 16, i.e. when they can get a job and earn money for themselves, even if it is just babysitting.

I had a paying job since age 14 and volunteered at age 13.

My mom drove me and she let me spend my money on whatever I wanted. I horded it tho because I could have easily spent it all in one weekend, and I knew this.

I think they should work BEFORE age 16 so they can at least pretend that they are putting money towards their car/insurance.

I think every family is different, however I think the biggest mistake would be to never let them work and then just give them a car when they turn 16 and then STILL dont let them work so they just drive around goofing off all the time.

I believe the busier the kids are the more they will stay out of trouble

I stopped getting an allowance once I started working (which was 17). However, my mom gave me some money every other week while I was in college. I think there is no right or wrong answer to this one. It definitely depends on the situation.

How each family operates is up to them. I've had a job since I was 16 for my own fun expenses - getting my nails done and shopping and going out to eat with friends - but I don't think there's anything wrong with parents giving kids money, that's there perogative. It also depends on what the kid has going on - my dad always said that school was my number one job, and I could only work if my schoolwork kept up with it. Now if I was playing sports and doing other extracurriculars like many many kids do, a job probably isn't going to fit in so well, and in that case I think it's better parenting to slip your kid a few bucks.

I didn't get an allowance until I was entering my third year of college superbroke and jobless. My mom started giving me a monthly allowance, so I can use my time to focus on school.

our allowance only came if we did our chores, and my sister is almost 18 and still doing chores for cash
i would say it would only stop once a child has a job and no longer wishes to work around the house for money

I'm finishing college this August. Even though I'm in an intership and earn monthly wages, my parents are still giving me money for food and transportation, but we have agreed that they will cease that when I graduate. So, after August, no more allowance for me
I'm very thankful for their support though!

I can see my girls getting allowance until they are grown. We haven't started giving it to them yet, at ages 4 & 6, but when they do get allowance, they will actually have to earn it by helping around the house.

I never received an allowance. I had a real job at 15 1/2 and I earned my own money with working extra hours. However, it was implied that the grades will be kept to the degree they were before I was working.

I started getting an allowance when I was younger and my parents continued supporting me through college graduation. Their reasoning was that they didn't want me getting a job because they wanted me to focus on my education. The fact that my parents were able (and willing) to continue helping me out until I was out on my own really made a positive impact in my life and I did my best not to abuse their generosity. I really don't think their support hindered me, now that I'm on my own - I still learned how to live on a budget and that kind of thing when I was using their money. I think it depends on each different family's situation, but this is what turn out to work for us.

I've often thought about how I would handle the allowance issue when I have kids of my own, so it's been really interesting reading everyone else's comments.

I definitely think kids SHOULD NOT be paid to do chores (they should just be expected to do them), but I do think it's important they learn how to handle money early on. I started getting an allowance in middle school and was expected to pay out of pocket for anything I didn't need (my parents would pay for food, school clothes, and sometimes entertainment) and that lasted through high school. In college my allowance was monthly and increased, but that was supposed to cover all of my grocery shopping, books/supplies, etc. I think I ended up saving most of what I didn't spend on the essentials.

I think it worked out pretty well. I certainly don't get an allowance anymore, and I'm pretty good at managing my money.

What's interesting is that I know a lot of people in their 20s (and 30s!) who still get an "allowance" from their parents — it just comes in the form of $500 checks and paid rent.

Wow I grew up very spoiled...Thankfully I was conscious of it. I like my independence better.

In my family we dont call it a allowance. My mother just gave me a money as I needed. Right now with my younger sister she is going to get a summer job so that she can have some extra extra spending cash for our Europe trip but once school starts school is her job and me and my mom are going to give her money for everday needs and any extras that she wants. I had to work right out of high school and I dont want her to do that. So she will be getting a "allowance" until she finishes school after that she is on her own.

I got an allowance until I was 10 or 12... I started working *selling candy and stuff* since I was 15 and never stopped working since!! I love to work. I'm an expensive girl so I have to keep my self happy and make money...I think I was raised right so allowance shouldnt go any more than age 12 or even 14

i've consistently had a job since age 15. i'm another one of those who likes being self-sufficient.

although... my parents did pay for the majority of my college (tuition/books/rent). i worked over every holiday and got my butt through school in four years though.

As much as I enjoy that I'm independant... I'm admittedly jealous of everyone that had their parents pay for their school/expenses while in school.

I'm 28 and I still get an "allowance"... my mom gives me $$ that goes straight into my savings account.

I got $10 every Monday to last me the whole week. Our lunch at school was $1.50. The left over was mine to keep. So I basically got a $2.50 allowance a week until I turned 15 and got a job. Does that count?

On a side note: NOTHING gets me so worked up as people whose parents just fork over money to them. My roommate is 26 (!!) and her parents still pay her car insurance and cell phone bill. She's a freakin' school teacher!! Ugh.....it makes me so mad.

Sweetpeabrina - no offense, but I am 28 and if my mother tried to give me a dime I would roll over and die before I took it.

I never got an allowance. I don't believe that you should earn an allowance because of chores. You do chores because mom and dad told you to. If you want money, you have to do something extra!

I never got an allowance. I don't believe that you should earn an allowance because of chores. You do chores because mom and dad told you to. If you want money, you have to do something extra!

One more thing and then I'm done on this one: I believe parents paying their kids for doing everyday chores or making good grades is a crock of S*$@. All the parent is doing is teaching their child that they should expect a reward for doing something they should be doing anyway. AND they will do stuff not because the parent said so, but because they expect something in return.

While I was in high school and did competitive sports, my mom said that was my job, and everytime I wanted to quit, she told me I was going to have to get a job...it definitely got me through the tough times. Being busy with school and sports meant that I hardly had time to do things that would require an allowance anyway.

I never got an allowance as a kid, but my parents pay for most of my expenses now while I'm in college. I mean, I have a part time job, so I pay for all my clothes, entertainment, food, and cell bill. My parents pay for my apartment, my utilities, and my car insurance. After I graduate I'm cut off.

I've been told since day one that my parents would pay for school for me, which included housing. I'm really grateful. I realize that this can't work for everyone, but I'm lucky and realize that my parents don't have to do what they're doing for me.

I got an allowance until I got my first regular job when I was 16. I stopped giving my daughter an allowance when she graduated from high school and got a part time job. As long as she is going to college (which we do pay for) and working part time I agreed to pay her car insurance and her cell phone. She pays her credit cards and her own gas and fun money. Once she graduates she is on her own. She also lives at home so I guess I pay for most of her food too. Her school is only 3 miles away so its convenient for her. I don't want her to have to worry about rent and bills while going to school. I want her to concentrate on school.

and...I don't believe in giving an allowance for doing regular chores...she got money based on extra stuff she did like babysitting for us and doing extra stuff around the house.

bella I know some people like that too. I find it amusing. I know of someone who is 34 I believe and gets pretty much everything paid for by her parents. Still...sort of sad in my mind.

It's especially amusing since she teases me about being frugal. But hey, not everyone has parents who will buy us a house and/or pay or other bills.

I started babysitting when I was about 11 or 12. Before there were migrant workers in Oregon you could pick strawberries during the when you were 12 so I did that as well. I had my first summer job when I was 15 and started working part time when I was 16. I am so glad I did it made me more prepared for the work place when I got out of college. I actually had work experience. I think school is important and is your first priority but I do think it is important for kids to start at least working during the summers. I never had an allowance and never thought to ask for one.

I really don't think there is only *one* right way to any facet of parenting. I got an allowance from the time I was little. Later, I got one during the school year and then worked during the summers from 14 on through college. My parents didn't want me to work in college, but I did anyway and they cut my allowance down but still sent a little something each month. Granted, that was supposed to help pay rent, groceries, etc...

I think an allowance for regular chores is fine. Some have said that will make children want a reward for anything they do, but I think you can look at it from another angle and say it teaches them that they need to work to earn the things they want. I was never just given money to go to the mall or to hang out with friends. I had to use my allowance for anything like that. I had to think about how and where I was going to spend it because it wasn't unlimited. And it wasn't arbitrary, I learned that if I worked I would earn the things I wanted - it wasn't just based on whether or not my parents felt like giving me money that time or not.

I think I had an allowance until I got my first job at age 16. It was only a set weekly amount ($5 or $10) when I was a kid. When I got to be a teenager, it wasn't necessarily a set amount that I'd get each week, but if I needed money for something, my parents would usually give it to me (reasonable amount of course!).

But I know that each family is different and parents have different ideas/opinions about this kind of thing. To each their own.

My parents were of the mindset that whatever they could afford to give us and do for us, they would, since they grew up with pretty much nothing and wanted my sister and I to have a different experience. People would say we were spoiled growing up, but whatever. I know a lot of comments like that were made out of resentment and jealousy, so I never took them to heart. And my parents did make us get jobs when we were old enough and made sure we learned responsibility. But they're very generous people and still help us out when we need it.

I'm very grateful and appreciative for EVERYTHING they've given and done for us...and I have never taken any of it for granted.

By the time I was about 16, my allowance and any money I got (from babysitting or any other work) went mostly towards clothes -- and not whatever was the new fashion I had to get, but just things like basic underwear and jeans on sale because otherwise I wouldn't have enough clothes to get through a week -- and gas for my parents' gas guzzler for driving my brother to his job (he didn't get his license until I was about to go off to college) or to school and so on. And my parents wouldn't have allowed me to work a job during the week during the school year, so my job options were quite limited.

With my supposed $2 allowance, I did all that and loaned money to my father o