Did any of you have pocket money when you were a kid?

[Hagar]

Yes 6d (2.5p) per week. all spent on very cheap sweets. We were not routinely bought sweets otherwise except at Easter and Christmas. Cash presents were transferred into national savings certificates before we could get our grubby mitts on it. Past eleven we got a rise to 2/6, 12.5p.

 

[esmozz]

.....

there were always shops that would serve anyone even if you were in school uniform :O

Yup, I distinctly remember buying a packet of cigarettes from the corner shop near our school, whilst wearing school uniform, aged around 13-14. The world certainly has changed a lot.

 

[Cromulent]

Yup, I distinctly remember buying a packet of cigarettes from the corner shop near our school, whilst wearing school uniform, aged around 13-14. The world certainly has changed a lot.

Same here. The shop in the train station opposite my school (which lots of pupils used to get to school) sold cigarettes to anyone.

 

[Hagar]

I seem to remember a brand selling packs of two or was it just enterprising newsagents selling loose ready rolled cigarettes. No.6 coffin nails was where I started.

 

[Subliminal Aura]

Nope none.

When asked the response was " Pocket money is for rich folk and what the **** do you need pocket money for, if it's for spending ... go get a job "

 

[Flaevius]

We've used the GoHenry app for my son, since the age of 5. He earns a set amount for completing tasks, which started as basic as brushing his teeth, reading, doing his homework etc. He enjoys seeing how much he's earned and then deciding when and how he'd like to treat himself (or more usually, simply save it!). It's a useful tool to help impart the value of money, alongside the general guidance we provide.

Aside from that, we each pay a monthly amount into his bank account. It will be sufficient to put a deposit down on a property, cover a chunk of University, or enable him to travel etc. Perhaps we'll take a different approach when he's older and in his teens, but it's a good balance at the moment.

Myself, I didn't have pocket money - but also didn't want for anything. Any money I 'earned' was generally the leftover change from my daily dinner money. I've always been a saver rather than a spender.

 

[arknor]

I seem to remember a brand selling packs of two or was it just enterprising newsagents selling loose ready rolled cigarettes. No.6 coffin nails was where I started.

Some news agents probably sold "singles"

I know those tuck shop vans that used to drive around estates did.

they were literally taken from a 10 or 20 pack and sold at a higher rate per ciggy.


you used to get mult packs of crisps etc saying they weren't to be sold separately on the packet, but some newsagents still had them on the shelves. they probably had less in them than the normal packets

 

[almoststew1990]

I got £2 a week in the early 2000s in the first half of secondary school. I don't think I got pocket money in primary school. I mowed my neighbour's lawn for a tenner or so when I was 14+. I recall protesting at 15 that £2 didn't really buy anything so I ended up with £10 every two weeks at 15 or so until I got a part time job at 16 during college. I was on dishes and coffee making duty from about year 7.

 

[Andrew_McP]

Can't remember the details... it was the 70s! But we got a small amount of pocket money up until we got our first paper rounds at the age of 11. Big school? Welcome to the miserable world of working for a living!

 

[Hagar]

Some news agents probably sold "singles"

I know those tuck shop vans that used to drive around estates did.

they were literally taken from a 10 or 20 pack and sold at a higher rate per ciggy.


you used to get mult packs of crisps etc saying they weren't to be sold separately on the packet, but some newsagents still had them on the shelves. they probably had less in them than the normal packets

It was packs of five, Woodbine and Players did them

 

[edscdk]

£5 a month i think... i tried to get more for mowing the lawn but that did not work out!

 

[DJMK4]

I had to earn my keep, doing two paper rounds before school when i was younger

one of which was a fancy area, with their big newspapers, and their stupidily small letterboxes,

I did get good tips at xmas though


People who did paper-rounds generally got shouted at in school by the form tutor as we would sometimes end up getting to school late because we were finishing the paper rounds

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I started getting like 10p a week in the early 1970s when I was 5 or 6 if I kept my room clean and picked up after myself around the house. Got a pound a week during the school holidays if I helped out at my dad’s garage fetching tools or parts to save him or my uncle from having to get out from inside or under a vehicle. Highlight of the working day was being sent to the shop down the road if my dad or uncle ran out of cigarettes or wanted a can of pop as I was allowed to get a small chocolate bar or similar as my delivery fee.

Can’t imagine a shopkeeper selling cigarettes to a 10 year old today, but he knew my dad well and I was made very aware of exactly how much trouble I’d be in should any of the fags and baccy I collected not end up in the hands of my dad or my uncle.

My daughters had a reward chart which started around age 5 (circa 2001-2) and earning enough points during the week meant they could pick a colouring book, kids magazine or some sweets when they came with me to the corner shop on Saturday morning. By the time they’d reached secondary school a decade later, I remember them getting £4-£5 a week each for keeping their room and the house tidy. They used to save up for things they wanted and not spend it all on sweets etc. Must have got that from their mother.

 

[tangey]

i got some pocket money, and then later on supplemented that by working on a saturday morning in a local corner shop, bagging 4-stone bags of potatoes into 5/7lb bags, weighing up using some old-fashion scales, ensuring got a mix of big and small ones. dirty, heavy job for a kid, and got 50p per 4-stone bag.

Paper round seemed to be a popular way for a kid to make some extra money.

So to extend the original question, what type of jobs can kids do these days to get some extra money (excluding county lines stuff !)

 

[UTmaniac]

The mid 80s is a long time ago, think I got £5 a week for doing some chores including sorting out the dishwasher, something I have to do by hand these days for nothing!

But like a few others have mentioned, I was a weekend paperboy and also covered weekly rounds during holidays until A-levels, then had a Saturday/holidays job in family electrical store until I went to uni.

 

[Berserker]

Back in the 80s, yes. Boarding school for reasons I won't go into but I vaguely remember having to queue up for it. Once in the sixth form we were told about a way to (legally) claim one of the social benefits that was available, so we did. Wasn't much but it was a lot more than pocket money, and as I discovered a few years ago, qualified for NI credits. This was in the days of student grants too - I feel bad that we had it comparitively easy while current students get saddled with ridiculous amounts of debt.

 

[Lonewolf]

In the 70’s I used to get 50p a week but I had to brush my old man’s sweaty boots to receive it.