Kid Allowance Calculator

A quick starting point for weekly allowance, based on your child's age and the common "per year of age" rule of thumb — works in any currency.

Suggested weekly allowance
per month
per year
This is just a common starting reference, not a rule — actual allowance amounts vary enormously by family budget, region and what the allowance is meant to cover (spending money only, versus clothes or activities). The "1 unit of currency per year of age" ratio is currency-agnostic: pick whichever currency matches your household and scale to what feels reasonable locally. Many families also split allowance across save / spend / give categories to build money habits alongside the amount itself.

Common questions

How much allowance should I give my child?

There's no single right answer — it depends on your budget, what the allowance needs to cover, and local cost of living. The "1 unit of currency per week per year of age" rule (so $8/week, £8/week or €8/week for an 8-year-old) is a widely cited starting point that many families adjust up or down from there, in whatever currency they use.

What is the "1 per year of age" allowance rule?

It's a simple, commonly used guideline where a child's weekly allowance roughly matches their age in whatever local currency you use — a 6-year-old gets 6/week, a 10-year-old gets 10/week, and so on, whether that's dollars, pounds, euros or another currency. It scales allowance up naturally as kids get older without requiring a family to work out exact numbers from scratch.

Should allowance be tied to chores?

Families are genuinely split on this. Some tie allowance directly to completed chores to reinforce work-reward connections; others treat basic household contributions as expected regardless of allowance, and pay separately for extra, optional tasks. Either approach can work — consistency matters more than which model you pick.

How should kids split their allowance?

A common approach is dividing it into three categories — spend, save and give — often using separate jars or accounts, to build the habit of thinking about money in more than one way from an early age. The exact split (like 50/40/10) is much less important than practicing the habit itself.

Does the allowance amount matter as much as consistency?

Most financial educators would say no — a smaller allowance given reliably and paired with real decision-making (letting a child choose how to spend or save it, including making mistakes) tends to teach more than a larger amount given inconsistently or with the parent controlling every purchase.