How much allowance should a 13 year old get?

Answer 1

I'd recommend setting the allowance based on what you think is reasonable for your child to purchase given your family's financial context - i.e., an allowance based on a simple concrete budget. Such an approach is less arbitrary, sensible to explain, and has the added bonus of introducing your child to the important concept of budgeting. For a young kid buying occasional trinkets, the budget might be expressed in simple terms like "1 pack of gum a month and 3 packs of Yu-Gi-Oh cards a year". For teens, I'd recommend having them budget and pay for clothing items, entertainment, and maybe a few other spend areas - base the allowance on the budget (factor in the charitable & saving targets too), not some arbitrary amount. It's educational for the child, and you'll actually end up saving money. Bottom line: give you kid a "budget" (fiscal discipline), not an "allowance" (handout).