Overview
- Three in four parents report giving a regular allowance, with many saying money lessons should begin around age 10.
- Children’s monthly allowances average $52, which parents say is $36 more than they received at the same age after inflation.
- Cash remains common at 56%, though 17% use payment apps and 14% use preloaded debit cards, with some paying in experiences or screen time.
- Parents report a chore-based pay scale, from about $13 for babysitting siblings to $8 for vacuuming, and the Tooth Fairy averages $9 per tooth.
- Spending isn’t always careful, as 32% say their child blew an allowance in a day and 55% cite purchases of unusual items like spiders or bags of cheese, based on an online Talker Research survey of 2,000 parents commissioned by Acorns Early in late September 2025.