A Teen Clothing Allowance as a Money Tool
by Gary Foreman
A teen clothing allowance can go a long way in preparing your teen to manage money as an adult. Take these steps to use this savvy money tool to teach your teen how to be a smart shopper.
Dear Gary,
Our daughter will become a teenager in a few short months. I’m considering giving her a clothing allowance. Lately we seem to argue about every clothing purchase. I’m thinking that an allowance might be a good way to teach her about money. What do you think?
Kelsey
A teen clothing allowance can benefit both your teen and you
The teen years are when parents and their offspring debate about everything, including what clothes the teen needs and how much those clothes should cost.
You’re considering one of the best tools to resolve the debate. A clothing allowance can also help teach your teen about handling money. It’s even possible that you might learn something, too!
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Some tips for successfully implementing a teen clothing allowance
The mechanics aren’t that difficult. Decide which items your daughter will be responsible for buying, how often you’ll give her money to buy those items, the size of her clothing allowance, and, finally, how you’ll actually give her the money.
Which clothing will your teen be responsible for buying?
Begin by deciding which clothing items she’ll be responsible for buying. Get her input before you make a decision. You might want to start with undergarments or something simple. Then as she gets older and has more experience, add items like tops and skirts. Ideally she’ll be buying her entire wardrobe by the time she leaves home.
How much of a clothing allowance should you give your teen?
How much to give depends on your family finances and her age. An amount similar to what you had been spending is appropriate.
You’ll need to keep in mind seasonal needs (like back-to-school) when you decide on an amount. Discuss those seasonal needs with your daughter. Encourage her to plan ahead (can you say budget?) for them.
Be prepared to change the amount of her clothing allowance as your daughter gets older and if, by chance, you estimated the amount incorrectly.
I’d suggest that you give her the clothing allowance once or twice a month for two reasons. First, the amount that she’ll get is smaller, so there’s less opportunity to make a high dollar mistake. Second, it’s more like the frequency she’ll see in paychecks when she starts working.
Should you give your teen cash? Or a debit card?
Next you’ll need to work out how she’ll get the money. At first, you might just want to give her cash. It’s certainly the simplest. She can keep a wallet specifically for her clothing money. When she wants to go clothing shopping, she’ll take the wallet along.
As she gets older, you should set her up with a checking account and debit card. Use the opportunity to teach her how to read an account statement in paper and online form.
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Should you set any rules or guidelines?
Just because she has an allowance doesn’t mean that you have no influence. You’re still the parent. Set some rules.
You might want to require that she keep a “minimum balance” in her clothing account and that she’d need your permission to drop below the minimum.
You might allow her to keep any excess money she accumulates by the time she leaves home. That will increase her incentive to save.
There will be times when she’ll be frustrated because she can’t afford the newest trend item. Sympathize with her but don’t give in and put extra money in her account.
As an adult, she’ll have other similar experiences (probably more expensive ones). Mom won’t be there to help out, but her credit card will be there. We all know how that turns out.
If she wants to spend more than the allowance, suggest that she add extra money from birthday gifts or from money that she earns.
When she runs out of cash, use it as an opportunity to introduce her to thrift and consignment shops.
Encourage her creativity. Clothes are a way for teens to express their personality. Don’t squelch that. It’s better to be an encourager. More than one teen has worn something from a thrift store and started a new fashion trend among their friends.
Set the example.
Expect your daughter to watch how you handle your money. If she sees you using good money management skills, she’ll be more likely to follow your example. On the other hand, if you’re quick to pull out plastic for that “must have” designer blouse, you’re probably going to have a struggle.
Look at the whole process as a teaching moment. It’s not about whether she runs out of money and can’t afford new socks. Chances are that she will. The question is what will she learn from the experience? A clothing allowance can go a long way to preparing her to manage money as an adult.
Reviewed January 2022
About the Author
Gary Foreman is the former owner and editor of The Dollar Stretcher. He's the author of How to Conquer Debt No Matter How Much You Have and has been featured in MSN Money, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, The Nightly Business Report, US News Money, Credit.com and CreditCards.com.
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