ChoreDoKids and allowance: how much, and at what age?
Allowance is one of the most powerful money-teaching tools you have — but it comes with two big questions: how much, and should it be linked to chores? There's no single right answer, but there are sensible starting points. Here's a practical guide to pocket money by age, and the trade-offs of tying it to chores.
How much allowance by age
A common rule of thumb is roughly one unit of your currency per year of age, per week — so about $5 a week for a five-year-old, $10 for a ten-year-old. Treat it as a starting point, not gospel: adjust for what the allowance is meant to cover and what works for your family budget.
- ✓Ages 4–6: a small, regular amount — the point is the habit, not the sum
- ✓Ages 7–9: enough to save toward a modest goal over a few weeks
- ✓Ages 10–12: more, often with responsibility for some of their own small spending
- ✓Teens: a larger amount that covers agreed expenses, teaching real budgeting
Should allowance be tied to chores?
Two schools of thought. One keeps them separate: chores are part of being in the family, and allowance teaches money management on its own. The other links them: you earn your allowance by contributing. Many families land in the middle — some chores are simply expected, while extra or optional jobs earn money. ChoreDo supports this directly: set some quests as expected and others as reward-earning, so kids earn toward a goal without every single chore becoming a transaction.
Teaching money habits with allowance
- ✓Split it into save, spend and give — even three jars works
- ✓Let them make small mistakes now, while the stakes are tiny
- ✓Set a savings goal so they feel the payoff of waiting
- ✓Be consistent with timing — a reliable 'payday' builds trust
FAQ
What age should kids start getting an allowance?
Around four to six is common — old enough to understand that money buys things and that saving means waiting. Start small; at this age the habit matters far more than the amount.
Should I take allowance away as punishment?
Most experts advise against using allowance as a fine — it muddies the money lesson with discipline. If allowance is tied to specific reward-earning jobs, simply not earning it for an undone job is cleaner than confiscating money already given.
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