Pocket Money in Japan
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87)
Wed 2007/12/19 01:06
According to this survey, kids in Japan are allocated the following amounts *per month* by their parents.
- Primary school final year - 1,837 yen (16 USD)
- Secondary school final year - 3,883 yen (34 USD)
- College final year - 6,874 yen (60 USD)
- University student - 12,957 yen (114 USD)
Some of the people who took the poll mentioned how important they think (or their parents think) it is for one to look for a part time job when one becomes a university student - not only to stop taking money from parents but to also learn how to make money for ones self.
Some of the people who took the survey said they receive nothing from their parents.
If you were to give pocket money to your kids, how much would you give?
And the same goes to current parents - how much do you give your kids to spend every month?
According to a report covered by Japan P...(more)
Sat 12/15 06:15 comments (91)
Web Developer/ウェブデベロッパー, Photographer/写真や
I get slightly more than what the University student in the survey gets ^^; But 60 USD for a college final year student?! Kinda low I think. *Sees Mirai Business Cards. Drools ^^;*
(ID #67308) Posted on 2007/12/19 00:47
Over in the US, college is basically the same as university. Did you mean like High School?
(ID #67309) Posted on 2007/12/19 00:51
I get about 200 CDN pocket money each month from my parents. But most of my living expenses come from the money I save from work during the summer. University is also a money vacuum, you wouldn't believe how much textbooks and tuition is...and I heard its going to go up again next year. stupid stupid government....
(ID #67310) Posted on 2007/12/19 00:58
I would make them do chores, and depending on if they did the chores, did them well, and so on, I would pay them based on that. This way they arent just handed money, and they have to understand the value of hard work. My parents had a lot of money, but if I wanted a dollar from my parents, I had to go work for it. If I needed five dollars, I could wash one of their cars. I remember packing seafood at my dads work into boxes in a huge freezer at age 8 so I could make a couple bucks. They didnt buy me a car, I leased one at 16, they didnt pay for any of my expenses except school and only then if I got a B average. At 22 I bought my own house from saving money, and make a decent living. I dont think I would have appreciated anything as much if my parents didnt make me work for it.. for myself.
(ID #67311) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:01
@Qingy, wait until you start paying taxes. WhooooO!
(ID #67312) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:02
post-hikikomori, now part-time network engineer
im currently getting sgd500 allowance moolah from my company internship
(ID #67313) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:03
Hi Danny, how r u? It will be great if we can have more details about these cute visit cards ^o^
(ID #67314) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:05
Huh? What? Parents give money? All I got from my folks way back when was a smack in the head, and the phrase "don't you have a job to get to?". Luckily I was a professional hitman, so it paid well.
(ID #67315) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:08
Director/代表取締役
FatB, LOL KCA, I got two business cards - one for Mirai Inc and one for dannychoo.com. There are business chances everywhere! Don, Was referred to "college" in the UK back then so I guess "high school" in your region. Windbell, I must have forgotten to give you one last time ^^;
(ID #67318) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:19
A lack of personal spending money builds character. By the time a child lives through a childhood of "poverty", watching all his/her friends go out and buy stuff with money their parents gave them, and they reach the legal working age, they will have the vigor and motivation to earn their keep. All that's left at that point is to teach money management.
(ID #67319) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:24
Giving pocket money involves trust and responsibility... If the child thinks it is free money to spend on whatever goes through his/her mind, it is fruitless. On the contrary, the ultimate goal is to save and learn about spending money in a wise way. At least it's how I have learned things and must be much different for many. Let's say I have learned the true value of things and people and I'm glad for it.
(ID #67320) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:32
kind of Computer Science/Software engineery Student
Well, I'm a third year university student and I hardly get any money from my parents besides the schoolarship (and I have a government credit for half of it)... sucks to buy coffee with your own hard-earned money
(ID #67321) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:32
I just got to ask Danny. What is that watch you have over there?
(ID #67322) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:39
Japanese Student
I think it's a good idea to sort of limit how much pocket money you give your kids. It makes them value things like earning their own, saving money, etc. Especially here in Japan where there are so many places and so many things to spend money on.
(ID #67324) Posted on 2007/12/19 01:59
hmm. depends on the job i have and as they grew older, i guess ill increase bit by bit? just like how my parents are treating me now
(ID #67325) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:05
"College" in the UK means something like... 11'th/12'th grade for US schools... Basically your AP's. In the UK, they take A-Levels... and for me... I took IB >___>
(ID #67326) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:07
ひきこもり/Hikikomori. Suits my current state more than a 大学生/University Student. ^^
There really is something wrong with my parents since they don't give limit to my pocket money. They'd just give me around 40 USD initially and then they'd give me more if I used that up. But I have never asked for more than 114 USD of pocket money before, since everything is dirt cheap here.
(ID #67327) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:13
The answer to the question though Danny... depends on what you conscider "pocket money"... right..? I know I used to receive more than 12,000 yen/month in highschool... but it would include things like transport etc... sometimes I'd use it to help buy stuff if my parents needed me to do some grocery shopping etc. And through this, I guess I learned more monetary responsibility... as... it encompassed more than just "self spending money" now, I'm in Uni in the UK... and I get FAR more for "allowance"... but this also includes money for cooking food, phone bills, competitions... Next year it'll expand to rent... internet, water, gas... electricity... everything. so yeah... You can't really "teach" someone how to be financially responsible by limiting the amount of money... you've got to be flexible to the situation... of course, there are limits. But yeah.
(ID #67328) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:15
McMaster Engineering Student Fall 08
Well, I'm a highschool student, and most of my own things came from my own cash. However, lately, I've been too preoccupied with school to work, and so; resort to pocket money. Event though, I never try to swindle loads of cash from my parents and try to stay a little smart with it. Generally speaking, not including the money I have made, my parents give me usually anywhere from $40-60 out of their pocket maybe each month? Sometimes less, just depends on whether or not weekends are filled with studying or hanging out at a friends house.
(ID #67329) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:29
Someone seriously explain to me the currency in Japan...
(ID #67330) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:30
i never get this "pocket money." all i do is hassle some kids and win there money.
(ID #67331) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:32
as a general rule, 100~120 yen = 1 USD. 1 yen = 1 cent... give or take a bit. Just divide any value you see of yen by about 100/110/120 and you have a very approximate value of it in USD. Half that yet again, and now you have the value in Pounds.
(ID #67332) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:36
I'm just got into college, so i only get 20CAD from my parents every month since i don't have a job yet. So I'm really kinda broke throughout the year. All i can say is thank god for Chinese New Year!
(ID #67333) Posted on 2007/12/19 02:55
For now as I'm a polytechnic student I do receive SGD 200 and abit more for other expenses. Thats pretty close to 130 USD a month. But I do take up holiday jobs when I have a long holiday, which usually lasts around 2 months. LOL those kids in Japan are getting so little... Then what do they eat/survive on? Air?
(ID #67334) Posted on 2007/12/19 03:06
Much less then what I expected from the japanese. An average secondary SG student get at least 70~80sgd per month.
(ID #67335) Posted on 2007/12/19 03:27
I used to get about $40 USD a month but now it's down to 0 seeing as I got a job.
(ID #67337) Posted on 2007/12/19 03:31
High School Graduate... Now what?
about $20 gets me through a week... so i'd probably do the same with any litle ones... Like others I wouldnt mind more.
(ID #67338) Posted on 2007/12/19 03:35
I don't get any pocket money, I just buy things with money from my study financing. ^^ I would probably give my future children somewhere between 1-50 euros (give them too much and they'll most likely start to get spoiled).
(ID #67339) Posted on 2007/12/19 03:36
Secondary Student~
I didn't see the "per month" I thought it was like "per week" or something. It's a bit low over there. I'm getting around SGD 80 per month. So I'm your average secondary school kid in SG? I'll probably increase the kid's allowance along with their age.. giving too much at a young age would really spoilt them.
(ID #67340) Posted on 2007/12/19 03:44
That is so little! I get about that amount per week for each level till university. I though Japan's high cost of living means higher pocket money.
(ID #67341) Posted on 2007/12/19 03:52
Celeron (Registered on 2007/12/03 05:15)
Money from my parents... I get to live here for free. In fact I cant think of any of my friends that get any, we had to save what we got from b-day and xmiss.
(ID #67342) Posted on 2007/12/19 04:06
ひきこもり/Hikikomori. Suits my current state more than a 大学生/University Student. ^^
@tetrflare Umm.. I think it's more like you're getting so much rather than Japanese getting so little.. yeah, they're getting lower than expected pocket money but it's not that low, I think... ^^ Cheers.
(ID #67343) Posted on 2007/12/19 04:12
Part human, part student, 100% loser
Wow... They have it tough those kids in Japan... I get roughly $50 a month, even with these, I still don't have enough to buy manga/figures... I'm also saving for a n Xbox 360, which will take about 12 months of pocket money to be saved... I'm gonna end up dying early... Sob
(ID #67344) Posted on 2007/12/19 04:13
Woodcrafter/3D Modeler
Hmmm... I think I started receiving allowances in the final year of Primary School, IIRC it was US$10 and I used it to buy a monthly comic book (Lupín the pilot, no relation with the anime) I continued receiving money in the first years of Secondary School, but after that I started to work. So when I started University, I paid for everithing with my own money. I was teached to save from the very beginning, as a result, now I'm a cheap bastard :P I don't even spend money in things I like. On the positive side, I can mostly rest assured that if my country's economy collapsed tomorrow (as it often does), I'll not become poor overnight. BTW, I have your feed displayed on my site since september, always forgot to mention. Can you activate me?
(ID #67345) Posted on 2007/12/19 04:26
34 usd for secondary students per month, it is a torture, i get S$40 per week.
(ID #67347) Posted on 2007/12/19 04:47
i get 20$ per week that's Rp200.000,00 in indo
(ID #67348) Posted on 2007/12/19 04:48
To anybody who picked more than $50: please go back in time 20 years and adopt me. I promise I'll get a job when I'm 14.
(ID #67349) Posted on 2007/12/19 04:56
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
O_o I... I got 1-2 SGD dollars max when I was in primary school LOL I remember skipping recess food just to play skipping rope games with my classmates :3 I think I got 5 bucks in secondary, more when I got into polytechnic :P It is most just to get some food in break time... Thankfully for side jobs (illustration related) for other savings (woot!)
(ID #67350) Posted on 2007/12/19 05:04
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
oops forgot to add that it was per school days, weekends no $ ^^;
(ID #67351) Posted on 2007/12/19 05:05
Seems like us singaporeans are getting more pocket money than average compared to other people. But I do not feel it is alot. Spending on our meals and transport is about it with a little left for saving. Is singapore cost of living actually considered high?
(ID #67352) Posted on 2007/12/19 05:15
I was working part-time at McDs by my Junior year of High School and have been on my own since after graduation. My folks are always there should I hit a major financial snafu (like loss of employment) but for the most part I've taken care of my own expenses for the last five or six years. Allowance from my family when I did recieve it was rarely more than 10-20 USD and that was in return for doing work around the house (stacking/moving firewood, raking leaves, etc).
(ID #67353) Posted on 2007/12/19 05:17
I would probably give $5 a month when they're young, but only if the do chores. They will get all of their "candy" from me, as I will be the one buying the candy and eating it lol. When they become teenagers then $50 sounds good, as long as grades are kept up. When they become university students then their "allowance" becomes tuition money lol. But thats a while from now as I am a university student myself ^^.
(ID #67354) Posted on 2007/12/19 05:26
WebDesign, Coding, Administration
I got my pocket money depending on my school grades. So when i had a test and scored a 1 ( 100%) then i got 50DM (bout 25euros) which was the max. A lower grade would result in less money. Then again we had like 3-4 Tests every two weeks and sadly not every test ended up with 100%. ^o^; I don't plan to have kids, i would be a horrible mother with my anime and internet addiction. xD
(ID #67355) Posted on 2007/12/19 05:29
I got a parttime job in the final years in Highschool and worked through university, it was better money then my pocket money and it saved my from the guild trip.
(ID #67356) Posted on 2007/12/19 05:57
wah the pocket money amount in the survey was about the same as i got during my school days. I haven't got any pocket money since i started internship last year and now army. 1 year with my own money, most of it ended up in my hobbies XD
(ID #67357) Posted on 2007/12/19 06:02
As a physics student,it's very hard if not impossible to have a part time job.I know some universities in japan even forbid students to get part time jobs,I wonder how students in japan without scholarships are able to pay all the expenses.
(ID #67358) Posted on 2007/12/19 06:23
I've not had pocket money since I was out of highschool. The highest I ever got was probably about £10 a week? Got my first proper job at CEX in Leeds at 18 nearly 4 years ago, and then quit there and moved to Japan in 2005 and have been pretty much self-sufficient since then (with a whole host of mad money making schemes along the way!). It seems like an age has passed since the days of pocket money! When I have kids off in the future, I guess a decent secondary school pocket money would be about £5 or if it is still in Japan, around 1000 yen per week.
(ID #67360) Posted on 2007/12/19 07:21
wow that's really small. i thought japanese kids are showered with money because when you look at their valuables clothes, accessories, models, toys, etc they got top brand stuff. or i guess they save up and stuff. hmm you learn somethign new everyday. anyways when i have kids i think $100 a month should be enough. i grew up not getting alot of money or getting alot of the stuff i wanted, but nowadays everything's pretty expensive and kids need to eat. haha
(ID #67361) Posted on 2007/12/19 07:23
VF-25 Pilot. Universariate Scholar.
im a college student and i currently live with about 75USD a month so i think that should be enough for my kids as well(inflation excluded).
(ID #67362) Posted on 2007/12/19 07:38
I never got money growing up, but I didn't really want to buy anything either so I never asked for it. In college I get around 200 USD/month for food, but since I cook for myself I can cut it down to about 80-100 and save the rest for more interesting things.
(ID #67363) Posted on 2007/12/19 07:40
Computer Science Student
$34.00 per month is more than the average salary in Madagascar! xD But life's not expensive at all so kids don't need more than $10.00 I guess. If you live in the country side, $5.00 is too much, haha!
(ID #67364) Posted on 2007/12/19 08:02
I hear that japanese kids in school pool their money together and give it to one lucky kid for the month to spurge on something big. big trust issue for me. i didnt even lend other kids my g.i.joes when i younger :/
(ID #67367) Posted on 2007/12/19 08:48
Student
I'm not voting in this poll for one single reason, I don't get anything per month XD, when I need money my parents give me. They give me in the beginning of each school year around 250€ to spend in college, mostly I only spend it on food and copies for worksheets and stuff. If I received 100€ per month from my parents......hehe hello new figures and gunpla ^^
(ID #67369) Posted on 2007/12/19 09:22
I don't get anything, pocket money is alien to me. I used to envy the lucky so-and-so's at school but it doesn't make a difference to me any more.
(ID #67370) Posted on 2007/12/19 09:31
Mandalorian in training + Otaku...
Well, I would give my kid some money but not too much, in proportion I say.
(ID #67371) Posted on 2007/12/19 09:46
Get roughly $20 a week
(ID #67372) Posted on 2007/12/19 10:07
Illustrator & Designer
Hmm, probably not more than $10 before they are 10 y.o.; between $20-50 before they turn 18 y.o. I guess similar to the Japanese survey results. But who knows how much $10 is worth in the future when my partner and I spawn! >XP Also, I have to agree, great looking b-cards, Danny! Very curious to see what they look like (both sides) and in what situation you give out each/both.
(ID #67373) Posted on 2007/12/19 10:42
radical anime fan in Singapore; starting to freeze up. Mmm, end-of-year weather. (Registered on 2007/01/25 21:20)
Polytechnic Freshman. Mmm... fresh.
I only get 5 S$ per week. kids these days are rich... then again, prices for all stuff are rising everywhere.
(ID #67374) Posted on 2007/12/19 11:25
radical anime fan in Singapore; starting to freeze up. Mmm, end-of-year weather. (Registered on 2007/01/25 21:20)
Polytechnic Freshman. Mmm... fresh.
Sorry, i made a mistake. S$ 5 per DAY, not week. sorry again for the double post.
(ID #67375) Posted on 2007/12/19 11:26
Well I guess it depends a lot on what you have to buy with it. If you have to pay for your own school books, clothes and so on, then obviously it will be much higher.
(ID #67376) Posted on 2007/12/19 11:28
I guess this is why school kids in Japan never get to fully enjoy figurines, games and DVDs.