Allowance for teens: when to add a clothing budget and how much

From about 12 or 13, many families switch to a monthly amount and add a budget for clothes or other costs, so teens learn to plan. The Dutch budget institute Nibud suggests 12 or 13 as a good age to start a clothing allowance, with clear agreements on what it covers and what happens if items are lost (Nibud).

Pocket money for younger children is mostly about small choices: sweets now or a toy later. Teenagers need a bigger playground. A monthly budget that covers part of their real costs teaches the skill adults use every day: making money last until the next payday. Our guide to pocket money basics covers the early years. This article picks up where it stops.

How much allowance should a teenager get?

There is no official US guideline for teen allowances, and amounts vary a lot with family income and with what the money must cover. European public bodies publish figures that make useful reference points. They are in euros, and they cover free spending money only, without clothes.

The German figures come from the German Youth Institute (DJI), as published by the Familienportal NRW. The Dutch figures show what a typical secondary school pupil actually receives. The Austrian government portal stresses that its amounts are guideline values only. Our pocket money calculator shows the published figure for each age and country, with its source.

2 things stand out. First, amounts rise steeply between 12 and 16. Second, these amounts are free money: the Familienportal NRW notes that pocket money should not have to cover school supplies, clothing or everyday items. When you want a teen to pay for those, you add a separate budget.

What is a clothing allowance (kleedgeld, Budgetgeld)?

A clothing allowance is a fixed amount, on top of pocket money, that your teen uses to buy their own clothes. Dutch families call it kleedgeld. In German it is part of Budgetgeld: the DJI describes it as money planned in addition to pocket money for set expenses such as clothing or school supplies. In Switzerland, the Jugendlohn (youth wage) method is presented on its site as a way for young people from age 12 to learn to handle money.

How much? Nibud estimates that clothing costs about 71 euros a month for boys and 77 euros for girls from age 12. Its 2025 study found that the typical secondary school pupil received about 50 euros a month of kleedgeld, with little difference between ages. The gap is normal: children often do not pay for everything, such as sports gear or swimwear.

At what age can a teen manage a monthly budget?

Nibud points to 12 or 13 as a good age to start a clothing allowance. Most children have been on monthly pocket money for a couple of years by then: Austrian guidance moves from weekly to monthly payments at age 10, and German guidance pays weekly in primary school and monthly as children get older.

Readiness matters more than the birthday. Signs your child can handle a bigger budget:

• They make their pocket money last the whole month most of the time
• They save up for something they want instead of asking you
• They compare prices or wait for sales
• They can tell you roughly what they spent last month

If those habits are not there yet, start small: a budget for 1 category, such as school shoes or sportswear, before handing over the whole wardrobe.

What should a teen budget cover?

Write it down before the first payment. Nibud advises agreeing on what the kleedgeld must buy, whether that includes shoes, underwear, sportswear and formal clothes, and what happens if something is lost or broken. A simple list:

Often inside the budget

• Everyday clothes: T-shirts, jeans, hoodies
• Trainers and everyday shoes
• Phone credit or a phone plan top-up
• Outings with friends, snacks, cinema
• Small gifts for friends' birthdays

Often outside the budget

• A winter coat and other big, rare purchases
• School supplies and school trips
• Sports club fees and equipment
• Clothes for a wedding or another family event

For example, picture a hypothetical 14 year old who gets 30 euros of pocket money and 50 euros of clothing allowance each month. The agreement says the 50 euros covers everyday clothes, trainers and underwear, while parents pay for the winter coat and sports kit. In October, the teen wants new trainers at 70 euros. They skip a hoodie in October, carry over 20 euros, and buy the trainers in November with 2 months of budget. That is exactly the planning skill the budget is meant to teach.

What happens when the money runs out?

Nibud's rule is short: give the same amount every time, and gone is gone. Agree in advance whether the money has to last a week or a month, and do not top it up when it runs out early.

This is the hardest part for parents. Watching your teen wear the same jeans for 3 weeks because they spent the budget on a jacket feels uncomfortable. It is also the lesson. A mistake with 50 euros at 14 costs far less than a mistake with a salary at 24.

A few safety valves help:

• Agree on exceptions upfront. A growth spurt or a broken pair of school shoes may count as a parent cost. Decide this before it happens.
• Pay on a fixed day. The same date every month makes planning possible.
• Review after 3 months. Sit down together, look at what worked, and adjust the amount or the list if needed.
• Avoid advances. If you lend money against next month, write it down and take it back. Otherwise the budget stops meaning anything.

Should teens earn their own money too?

Nibud is clear that pocket money is not a wage. Many families keep regular household jobs separate from money: everyone helps at home because they live there. Our article on whether kids should be paid for chores compares the 3 common models. Our guide to chores for teens lists jobs that fit this age.

Earning extra is still valuable. Teens can take on bigger jobs at home that you would otherwise pay someone for, help neighbours, or, when local rules allow, take a small job. Earned money is often spent more carefully than given money, and it gives a teen a reason to plan and a goal to save towards.

A good split for many families: a fixed allowance for planning, a clothing budget for responsibility, and the option to earn more for ambition. Our article on money skills by age shows how these lessons build from the early years.

If you use Kidventures with younger siblings, stars and rewards keep working alongside money: kids pin a goal and save stars for it, and the Plus plan adds savings and family goals. Browse the chore library for quests like counting your pocket money, or print a budget-friendly chart for the fridge.