Allowance Calculator by Age
Get a suggested weekly allowance based on your child's age and what the money is expected to cover — plus what it will actually cost you across the year.
How this is calculated
The starting point is the most common rule of thumb: $1 per week per year of age. That number is then adjusted for scope, because an allowance that has to cover birthday gifts for friends is a much tighter budget than one that is pure spending money.
Treat the output as an anchor, not an answer. The range matters more than the midpoint — anywhere inside it is defensible, and affordability for your family beats any chart.
Widen the scope before you raise the number
Going from "$10 for whatever you want" to "$25, and you now buy your own gifts for friends" teaches planning. Going from $10 to $15 with no new responsibility teaches only that money arrives. If you want the allowance to do work, expand what it covers.
Then decide where the money goes
Cash handed over tends to get spent within the day, and the lesson ends there. Splitting each payment into save, spend and give on arrival is what makes an allowance instructive. For the full argument — and the case for never vetoing the spending bucket — see the allowance by age guide.
If you want the savings portion to visibly grow, Bank of Dad lets you hold the money, set an interest rate, and log every deposit and withdrawal. You can model the growth first with the compound interest calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much allowance should a 12 year old get?
Around $12 a week for pure spending money, following the $1 per year of age rule. If the allowance also covers gifts for friends or social outings, $18 to $25 is more realistic — the number should scale with what the child is now responsible for buying.
Is $20 a week too much for a 10 year old?
It is roughly double the common benchmark for that age, which is fine if the allowance covers real expenses like gifts and outings. As pure spending money on top of everything you already buy, it is high enough that the child rarely has to choose between two things — and choosing is where the learning happens.
Should allowance increase every year?
Raising it on each birthday works well because it is predictable and removes the negotiation. Agreeing to the $1 per year of age rule up front means the raise happens automatically without an annual conversation.