I do not and will never pay for grades.
The kids get a small allowance that is tied to household responsibilities. If they want extra money, they can do extra chores (a list and amounts is on the fridge). Only one child has ever done this with any vigor, to get an app I refused to buy (plenty of free apps in the sea, and this one was utterly w/o merit in my mind). Nobody in our families ever gifts money--I am not sure why this is, but it may just be cultural--so they never have very much money. Some of their peers have $100+ at home in their banks at a time; ours are lucky to have $20. I don't know whether to be perturbed by this or not. They aren't real "materialist" kids and that isn't something I want to nurture anyway, so for now, I'm letting it be. Families on both sides gift very nice "things" at holidays instead, such as beautiful colored pencils, hardcover book sets, etc. We spend quite a bit at Xmas and on birthdays, but do not tend to buy "just because." I guess it's the Puritan in me.
I do anticipate DD wanting to spend majorly on clothes--soon. She has a strong and definite fashion sense. So, that should get interesting. Shs also wants a Kindle right now, and it's not gifting season, so that's a discussion.
