Allowance
Kids' allowance: how much, how often, and how to tie it to effort
Allowance teaches a child to handle money, not to be paid for being part of the family. The clearest setup is a fixed base each week plus a smaller part that moves with effort. Split every payment into save, spend and give so the decision happens before the money is gone.
How much allowance suits each age?
There is no official figure in Malaysia, and school costs differ between a city and a kampung. This table is a starting example you can adjust, not a study and not financial advice.
| Age | Example base allowance | What it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 8 | RM 2 to RM 5 a week | Waiting, counting coins, choosing one thing |
| 9 to 12 | RM 5 to RM 10 a week | Saving up for something that costs more |
| 13 to 17 | RM 10 to RM 20 a week | Running their own week, including food at school |
One rule matters more than the amount: pay on the same day every week. A late allowance teaches a child that promises about money can slip, and that is the hardest lesson to undo later.
Should allowance be tied to chores?
Some chores should stay unpaid. Making your own bed, clearing your own plate and putting your shoes away are part of living in the house, not paid work. If everything is paid, a child starts asking what the rate is before helping a parent who is unwell.
The model that works for most families has two parts:
- A fixed base. The same amount each week, independent of chores. This is the money they practise managing.
- An effort part. A small rate per point, for example RM 0.10 a point, with a weekly cap so the total cannot run away.
In UrusFamily the rate and the cap are set once in the Wallet screen, then worked out automatically each week. The child sees the balance in RM, and a parent sees how much came from effort against the base. The chore sharing guide explains which chores belong in the paid part.
How does save, spend and give work?
Every time allowance lands, it splits into three pots. Many families start simple: half to spend, a part to save, a little to give. The ratio matters less than the habit of splitting before spending.
- Spend. Money the child can genuinely use without negotiating each time.
- Save. For something named, such as a bike or a game. A named target works far better than saving in general.
- Give. A donation to the masjid fund, an orphanage or flood relief. A small amount is enough to make it a habit.
Spend requests keep the conversation short: the child asks, a parent approves or declines, and the balance updates. The real money stays with you.
What do we do with duit raya afterwards?
Duit raya is often larger than a year of allowance, and it disappears within two weeks when there is no plan. What works is to record the total on the second day of Raya, then decide together: one part to spend now, one part for a named target, and one part for long term savings.
Younger children accept the rule more easily when the spending part is handed over in cash. Teenagers do better if you take them to the bank or a savings app so they watch the amount grow themselves.
Should gold or ASB savings be recorded?
If your family saves in ASB, a savings account or gold, recording the amounts in one place answers a simple question: how much does this child actually have. UrusFamily records the account type, the amount, and the weight and purity of gold. Account numbers, IC numbers, receipts and photos are not stored, because the app does not need them to be useful.
What UrusFamily does not do with money
No in-app payments, no transfers, no cards, and no points to buy. The wallet is a record, not a bank. Real money stays with the parents or in a real bank account, and the app only keeps the count so nobody argues about who already got last week's allowance.
The Google Play link goes live when the app is published. Free during launch.
Common questions about kids' allowance
How much weekly allowance suits a primary school child?
Many families start around RM 2 to RM 5 a week for a child aged six to eight. That figure is a starting example, not a study. Set it against what your household can afford and what things cost at your child's school.
Should every chore be paid?
No. The most common approach is that basic chores are unpaid because they are part of living in the house, and only extra chores carry allowance.
Can a child spend money inside the app?
No. The wallet in UrusFamily only records real money that you hold. There are no in-app payments and no points to buy.
What about duit raya, which can be a large amount?
Record the total, then decide together with your child how much is saved and how much can be spent. UrusFamily can record savings such as ASB or gold without storing any account numbers.