How much allowance to give
There's no universal figure, and anyone who gives you a single number is guessing. The right amount depends on three things: your household budget, what you expect the allowance to cover, and your teen's age and responsibility.
- Start from what it covers. Is it pure spending money, or does it include things like transport, lunches or social outings? Decide the scope first, then the number follows.
- Let it rise with age. A 13-year-old and a 17-year-old shouldn't get the same. Increasing it over time rewards growing responsibility.
- Keep it sustainable. Pick an amount you can give consistently. Reliability teaches more than generosity.
Should you tie allowance to chores?
This is where parents disagree most. Both extremes have a flaw: paying for every chore can make a teen expect money for basic family contribution, while paying for nothing misses a chance to connect effort to reward.
Something to consider is a balanced model, which works for many families:
- Some chores are just part of being in the family — unpaid, expected, non-negotiable.
- Extra tasks can earn money — washing the car, a bigger job, a one-off project. This is where earning gets connected to effort.
- A small base allowance plus earning opportunities gives security and ambition at the same time.
How often to pay it
Weekly works well for younger teens — the short feedback loop helps them learn quickly when money runs out. As they get older, switching to monthly is a powerful upgrade: it mirrors a real budget and forces them to make money last, which is exactly the skill they'll need as adults.
Make allowance actually teach
An allowance that simply appears teaches nothing. The difference between pocket money and a money lesson is structure:
- Build in saving. Encourage a split — save a bit, spend a bit, give a bit — so saving is the default, not the exception.
- Let them own the decisions. The learning happens when the choices are genuinely theirs, including the mistakes.
- Connect some of it to earning. Even a small earned portion changes how a teen values money.
- Review together. A quick monthly look-back — what was worth it, what wasn't — turns spending into reflection.
Turn pocket money into a habit
Structure is easier to keep when it's visible. GroMe turns allowance and chores into real money management for teens aged 12–18:
- Parent-set tasks and rewards so you can give a base allowance plus chances to earn more — the control a good kids allowance app should give you.
- Saving goals and a visual vault that make the save/spend split something they can see.
- Real-world challenges that build budgeting and an entrepreneur mindset on top of pocket money.
- A parent dashboard so you approve what matters and stay in the loop.
Make every euro a lesson
GroMe turns allowance and chores into real money skills — with tasks, saving goals, real rewards and a parent dashboard. Free early access for the first 100 families.
Get Free Early AccessFrequently asked questions
How much allowance should I give my teenager?
There's no universal figure — it depends on your budget and what the allowance covers. A modest amount that rises with age works well. What matters more than the number is that some of it is tied to effort and saving, so it teaches money management rather than just topping up spending.
Should I pay my teen for chores?
A balanced approach works best: some chores are simply part of family life, while extra tasks can earn money. Many parents give a small base allowance plus opportunities to earn more.
How often should I pay allowance?
Weekly suits younger teens because the feedback loop is short. Older teens can handle monthly, which is closer to a real budget and teaches them to make money last.
What is GroMe?
GroMe is a money app for teens aged 12–18 that turns allowance and chores into real money management — with tasks, saving goals, real rewards and a parent dashboard.