Allowance question

[v-girl]

So, for the last year I have been giving each of my girls ~$40/month for helping with their brother and doing chores on command. When we agreed to let them have iPhones, we told them they would have to pay their own data plans every month. To make it more "tangible," I give them each $40 and they each have to hand me back a $20. Every month they ask why I don't just give them each $20 and keep the rest for their data plans. I see this as a way to make them start paying their own bills. It's practice for real life, right? Or am I being silly? (Not that I'll stop doing it.)

[Sheherezade]

I think it's brilliant.

[v-girl]

Oh good! I told them this month that I'm not stopping so if they want to keep iPhones and allowances, this is how it will work.

[peggyfromwastate]

I do the same thing--- but I keep an allowance tracker and every first allowance and a half of dd is taken automatically for iPhone. When she complains about not having $ I ask her if she wants to give up the iPhone. She usually opts to do more babysitting.

And this whole experience of "taking" her allowance money this past year has really helped her see how much things cost. It's a small thing, but she says "I just don't want to grow up. I like to not worry about bills."lol.

[v-girl]

I didn't want to grow up either! I was totally unprepared when I was in college!

[SoonerTexan]

Haha I wish my parents had been that consistent with allowance. Having to budget for and pay for cell phones and car insurance was a good one in high school and college. My parents paid it while we were in school, but it was on us during the summers. The fact that they had multiple teen drivers probably had something to do with it...

[Deebs]

I think it's a great idea. We always had to pay for any extras (including splitting the cable bill between my sisters and I bc my parents didn't want it, but we did), and I think it taught me a lot. If only DH had the same lessons...

[poky]

I don't think it's silly at all. If you wanted to step it up a notch, you could pay them $10/week, then have the $20 due on a particular day each month, or pay them the $40 one day, and have the $20 be due a couple weeks later; if they don't have it on hand (saved up), the phone goes away for the next month, or at least the data gets turned off (so you can still call them)? I'm not even sure that's feasable technically, but it might be, depending on your carrier.

[v-girl]

I don't think it's silly at all. If you wanted to step it up a notch, you could pay them $10/week, then have the $20 due on a particular day each month, or pay them the $40 one day, and have the $20 be due a couple weeks later; if they don't have it on hand (saved up), the phone goes away for the next month, or at least the data gets turned off (so you can still call them)? I'm not even sure that's feasable technically, but it might be, depending on your carrier.

I like it! But I give them their money on the 1st usually since that's when DH gets paid.

[SuzySunshine]

I totally agree, I'm working on writing up our kids allowance right now too and they will pay a family tax, they will save for Christmas gifts/charity and they will pay mommy to do their chores if I have to do them because they don't. Their money isn't tied to anything else, it's just part of being in the family but just like mom and day save, pay taxes and pay people to do things they don't want to so will they.