How much should my child get, and what should it teach?

Allowance, chores, saving, and the cost of raising a child. What the numbers actually are, and what to do with them.

Questions we have answered

Coming to this section

Written and sourced properly, or not at all. These are the questions queued next.

  • How should my child divide their money?Not written yet
  • When should my child get a bank account?Not written yet

Calculators for money

The stages where this matters most

0–2, Babies and toddlers6–9, Early school years10–12, Tweens13–15, Early teens16–18, Late teens18+, Young adults

The answers are free.

Now here’s the system to actually do it.

Teach money and responsibility. Finished · not on sale yet

Money-Ready Kid

Build your child's money habits before money becomes a problem.

For the part that has to happen every week: the allowance, the split, the check-in.

For
Ages 6 to 16
The problem
You want to teach your child about money, but it is unclear what to teach, how much to give, and when to introduce each idea.
What changes
  • Set an allowance that suits your child's age and actually teaches something
  • Separate family responsibility from paid work, and hold the line
  • Make saving automatic instead of a weekly argument