Guides · Pocket money and chores
Should pocket money be tied to chores?
The case for and against, four ways to link them with worked examples, and what suits each age.
Four ways to link them
18 of 25 jobs done pays $3.60
There's no single right answer
There's no single right answer, and families who think hard about it land in different places.
A popular middle ground: everyday jobs are part of family life, and special jobs earn extra.
Whatever you choose, explain it once and keep to it.
It's one of the most common questions parents ask about pocket money. Should it be earned, or should it just arrive? Both sides have a point, and the right answer depends on your kids and what you want them to learn.
+The case for linking them
- It's how money works.Adults are paid for work, and kids learn that early.
- It motivates.For many kids, a payday that depends on jobs gets jobs done.
- It feels fair.A sibling who does more can earn more.
−The case against
- Family jobs aren't paid work.Nobody pays you to cook dinner. Kids help because they live there too.
- Kids can opt out."I don't need money this week" can mean no jobs either.
- Money becomes the only reason.Jobs that weren't paid for stop getting done.
The middle ground most families land on
Kids learn that money comes from work, and family jobs still get done for their own sake.
Four ways to link pocket money and chores
PocketPals lets you pick one of these for each child. Here's how each works on $5 a week, with the app's defaults.
The same every week
The full amount every payday, whatever the jobs.
Suits ages 4 to 7, and families who keep money and jobs apart.
The jobs they do
The share of the week's jobs done.
Suits ages 8 and up, and anyone who wants every job to count.
All or nothing
The full amount if 80% of jobs are done, otherwise nothing.
Suits older kids who can plan their week.
A set amount for each job
20c a small job, 50c a medium one and $1 a big one, up to the weekly amount.
Suits older kids, and is the closest thing to a real job.
You can change the 80%, the amounts for each job size, or the rule itself at any time. A week with no jobs due, like a holiday, pays in full under the first three.
What suits each age
Keep it the same every week
Keep pocket money the same every week, and praise the jobs instead. At this age the link between Tuesday's job and Saturday's money is too far apart to mean much.
Pay for the share of jobs done
Paying for the share of jobs done works well, or a fixed amount plus one or two money jobs a week. They can see the connection, and a missed job costs a little, not everything.
A set amount for each job
A set amount for each job, or all or nothing, starts to make sense. So do bigger money jobs, like mowing the lawn, that pay like real work.
What if they won't do their jobs?
If pocket money is linked to jobs, let the payday do the talking: no lecture, just the amount the rule gives. If it isn't linked, treat jobs like any other family expectation. Either way, keep it calm and make the next day a fresh start. A missed day shouldn't feel like a punishment that lasts all week.
Checking the jobs
If money depends on jobs, someone has to check them. In PocketPals you choose for each child:
Not sure which jobs to start with? Our chores by age guide has lists for each age, and the pocket money by age guide suggests an amount.
Try a whole pocket money week, free
PocketPals suggests pocket money and jobs for each child's age, keeps count of what's done, and splits payday into Spend, Save and Grow. You pay them your usual way, cash or bank.
Start free weekFounders pay A$3 a month or A$30 a year. Cancel any time.
