Allowance chore chart: chores for kids to earn money

Paid chores and family chores are different lists

Keep two lists: what every child does as family responsibility, and paid extras. Family chores are daily or weekly tasks expected of everyone. Paid extras are optional jobs that earn money.

Mixing them backfires. If you pay for family work, the child treats every task like a business. If you never pay for extras, the child never sees the link between effort and reward.

How to get kids to do chores without nagging is the guide that pairs with this chart.

• Family chores: put away toys, clear the table, make the bed, feed a pet as part of routine
• Paid extras: deep clean a closet, wash the car, weed a garden bed, clean the oven racks

For more ways to split tasks by age, try a matching printable from the chart collection on this site. See the free otpions at Chore charts.

Chores for kids to earn money

Offer extras that feel like real work, not punishment. Keep the list varied so the child can pick tasks they enjoy or want to try.

• Wash the car, small value
• Weed a garden bed, small value
• Sort the recycling shed, small value
• Clean the oven racks, moderate value
• Wash first floor windows, small value
• Organize a closet, moderate value
• Walk a neighbor's dog with a parent, small value
• Wash outdoor furniture, small value
• Clean out the garage corner, moderate value
• Detail bicycle cleaning, small value
• Help wash walls or baseboards, small value
• Assemble a simple yard project with adult help, moderate value

If you want ideas tailored to age, choose a chart for younger kids or older children. See 8 year old chores and 9 to 10 year old chores.

How the allowance chart works

The system uses two charts: an allowance chart and a payday tracker. The allowance chart lists each job, its value, a check column, and a running total.

The payday tracker records the date, earned, saved, and spent on a single row each payday. Payday stays on the same day every week, even when the total is zero. This helps the child learn patterns and see money add up.

Print the charts and put them on the fridge. You can have the child check completed jobs and you or the child add the totals. The site offers these free printables as one-page PDFs in letter and A4, color and ink saving versions.

Setting the values

Keep values small and round and state them in words on the chart. The point is to make totals meaningful, not large. Aim so a full week of extras buys one item the child wants.

Renegotiate at birthdays when needs change. Do not print dollar figures on the chart if you want the child to focus on counting and choice instead of exact amounts.

Our charts print at 100 percent, not fit to page, and include a blank name line. The reward boxes match a one and a half inch round sticker or a half inch star sticker, which helps you mark earned tasks. Sign-up opens a builder that prints the child name on a sticker sheet, a star chart and a chore chart, made in the browser.

Mistakes that make an allowance chart fail

Avoid a few common traps. A clear rule set and consistent payday keep the system honest and simple.

• Paying for family chores
• Paying late or inconsistently
• Docking money for behavior
• Letting the total roll over forever with no plan
• Values set too high so chores feel optional work
• No obvious way for the child to spend or save

If you want a chart that separates family responsibilities from paid extras, see the family chore printables and reward ideas on this site. Check Family chores and Reward ideas.