When I was a teenager, my parents gave me $20 a week, in exchange for some light chores. I wanted to focus my energies on school, and my parents agreed. That was enough to go to the movies or buy a book, and let me save up for things like Christmas presents. I also got report card bonuses.
Isabelle, what on Earth does your son do to make that much? Had I ever had a job that high-paying at 17 and asked my parents for extra money, I probably would have been kicked out. 
I don’t make that much, either, and I have a family to support. What in the name of God does that kid do? And you give him money???
I did chores at my mom’s house for many years and despite years of promises, I was never given an allowance. I just got a job and blew my own money.
I am of the feeling that allowance shouldn’t be tied to regular chores. Kids should do chores because it is part of being in a family and living with others. No one pays Mom to wash the dishes or fold laundry. Why should the kids be paid?
However, kids do need some money of their own to learn how to save and spend. $10 a week is more then enough for you two younger if you can afford it. You might find that it is cheaper then just buying them things. Now you can say, no I am not going to buy this and that, use your allowance.
Don’t give the 17 year old an allowance. And take away his cell phone. He can’t handle it.
To anwser your question…My son works in landscaping. This week his paycheck will be $550. BUT BUT BUT his cellphone bill was $675 and he owes me $64
I think it depends on the chore. For example, when Aaron is old enough to keep his own room neat, that will be an expectation. It’s a good habit to get into, and so he will not be paid for that. On the other hand, chores that are extra, like helping Dad pick twigs up from the yard or washing the car, or whatever, will be paid.
That said, I also plan to distinguish “allowance” from “money he earns”. His basic expenses will come from his allowance. This includes lunch money, replacement school supplies like paper and pencils, and other plannable expenses. Basically, his allowance will be for the things he knows he’s going to need, so he can learn to plan accordingly.
Money he earns will be his discretionary fund. He can spend it or save it as he chooses. If he wants that toy now, he can buy it, but if he wants that bike, he’s going to have to save for it or work something out with me and Airman. (Or, he could sweet-talk Gramma out of it. A little moxie is a good thing. ;))
To the OP: A 17-year-old with a $675 cell bill needs to learn some responsibility. He needs to pay it, not you. If he’s making that much money, there’s no reason why he can’t pay it. If he refuses to pay it, or he asks you for money to pay it, refuse to give it to him. It’s his obligation, make him fulfill it.
Robin
Maybe he needs to get his cell phone turned off then. If he’s making $2200 a month, then he ought to have $675 to pay his cell phone bill. Maybe you could sit down with him and show him how to work out a budget.
I’ve tried showing him how to do a budget but he won’t listen.
I have also tried to show him how to keep track of his savings account (debits/credits) but he thinks he knows more then me.
I think his phone should be shut off but he is paying it so I really don’t have a say so in the matter. Afterall its his money.
I guess saying no and not loaning him money aren’t options?
Whatever. He’ll have to figure out by himself like the rest of us. I still don’t know what the hell a 17 year old can be spending that much money on, though.
Too young to drink … weed, maybe?
Then the only way he’s going to learn is to make his own mistakes. If his phone is shut off due to nonpayment, that’s what happens when you don’t pay your bills. If he’s broke enough to ask Mommy for money even though he makes $2200 a month, then he’d better figure out how to save some so he’s not broke.
He’s old enough to make these choices himself, and also to live with the consequences.
Robin
Well this week he has asked everday for money for lunch. I told him “I don’t have it and he should have saved money for lunch”
What does he spend it on? FOOD! He takes his friends out to steak houses and pays the bill. His cell phone bill last month was nearly $700 and he paid that. Also he has broken tools at work. The rule is if you break something you have to replace it.
Last month he fell into a pool with a gas blower and ruined it. That was $325 to replace.
No he is not doing drugs. He is currently on probation for getting caught joyriding in my car at night while I was sleeping (he has no lisence) part of his probation is drug testing once a month (random)
Let him not pay it. The phone will get shut off soon enough. (Just make sure the phone is not in your name).
Let me also be the first to say, that phone bill is ridiculous. He needs to be on a different plan. The highest monthly plan we offered when I worked for a phone co. was something like 69.99 a month and you got like 5,000 minutes, and included all the features and long distance, unlimited nights and weekends, etc.
I would be suspicious of someone who made that much, didn’t have to pay rent and couldn’t pay a phone bill. (Even one that high - someone making $500.00 a week would easily qualify for an apartment with higher rent than that phone bill.) Does he have some other huge financial obligation? A car payment, insurance, anything?
I agree that you are not helping him by bailing him out. Let him go broke and get behind on a few payments - he needs to know that there is an end to the money supply.
By 17 he should be able to remember that he gets a phone bill every month at about the same time and that it is exorbitantly high and he needs to plan ahead. He also needs to stop the free meals for friends at the steakhouse.
Like Velma I cannot imagine how much time he spends on this phone to get a bill that high. There are some amazing plans out there and he could easily find one that would lower that bill - unless he’s calling 1900 numbers with it or some other kind of pay per call thing. My other question is how many unpaid months are on that bill? Is this a chronic problem that is starting to catch up with him?
Depending on his contributions around the house (chores and the like) I would charge him rent! If he does a lot to help out then probably low/token rent but if he does nothing then I’d charge more. Maybe that would help him plan ahead. Does he understand how much life costs? (as in all those other pesky expenses like rent/electricity/groceries/insurance/etc) If you want to be a really nice mommy you can sock all his rent (unknown to him) into a savings account that you can give him someday when he gets his act together.
At 17 with a job there is no reason to give him an allowance. And he should know the bank of mom is closed - permanently. My brother did this same thing with my mother and we (she and I) fight about it constantly. She did him no favors giving him money all the time and not having him learn how to grow up. He never had to do any chores and got all the cash or stuff he ever asked for. Now he’s in jail and she’s still giving him money and running up her phone bill because he’s lonely (I told her he’s not 12 and homesick at summer camp and not to look at me for pity) so now she can’t buy groceries and can barely make her bills because she’s giving him so much money and spending $300 a month on phone bills.
That phone bill of $675 is for this month only. It is current.
He is actually paying for 3 cell phones. He got both of my sons one plus him. But somehow he made the youngest son give up his phone and he gave it to his girlfriend.
They sent 3,000 text messages to eachother this month and they are at $.10 a piece.
The girlfriend (which he just found out) was cheating on him and was using the cell phone for other purposes then talking with him. Her phone bill was over the limit of minutes by 200.
My oldest son called 411 numerous times at $1.50 each.
He is not calling 1-900 numbers as I have inspected the phone detail
Everyone was over the limit by booku minutes. It is nothing for him to call a friend and chat for 4 hours at one time.
We cancelled the ex girfriends phone (she broke it out of anger anyway) and that will cost $175 because he did not keep to the agreement for 2 years.
His plan should only be costing him $59.99 a month and the other phone is $39.99 a month that is without 20% tax and that is if they don’t go over the minute plan.
After reading all these posts I am not loaning him any more money.
The cellphones are in my name (because he is a minor)
well, crap. if the phones are in YOUR name, close that account pronto! this kid is driving full blast for a major smashup. don’t let his impulsive stupidity ruin YOUR credit rating.
If the cell phone is in your name then cancel it! If there is a fine for leaving the contract early then make him pay it. He obviously can’t handle it and you are making excuses for him.
I am sorry to come back to this again so soon, but Isabelle, you really aren’t making much sense.
In one post you say that you think the cell phone should be turned off but you have no say about it because it is his money. Then you say that the cell phone is in your name. How do you figure that you have no say about something in your name?
I feel I don’t have a say so because he is paying the bill. It should be no concern of mine how he spends his hard earned cash. (Even though I try and get him to save it) If he wasn’t paying the bill then I would cancel the phone.
The original post was how much money should I be paying him for allowance? After reading the posts I am not going to pay him a dime. He is making good money and should be spending it wisely. He should be doing chores around the house just cause I let him live there free of charge.
If he misses one phone bill I will cancel the phone!
I still think I should pay the other two (ages 13 & 15) some kind of allowance but don’t know a fair price. Remember I am cheap!
How much are you spending on them a week now for stuff you want them to buy with their allowance? That is a good starting point to look at. If you give them money for lunch now but want their allowance to cover it then give them enough for lunch plus a little extra. If you are buying two CDs a month then divide that cost by four weeks.
I think that $10 a week is a good amount if you can afford it. If you quit buying them some things or giving them money at random times it might work out cheaper for you to give them an allowance. If you can’t afford $10 a week then perhaps some sliding scale for age. Like give the older child $7 and the younger child $5.