• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Pocket Money

ASTONITE

master brummie
I can't find a previous post on this subject, however, if there is one, I apologise. How much pocket money did you get and what did you spend it on? Also what is the average given today. In the 40s, I got a tanner a week, it rose to a bob when I got older.
 
My brother and I never got pocket money as such, Mom, being on her own, couldnt afford it..but we used to get money on a Saturday morning for the matinee at the pictures, with enough for a few sweets as well and if there was something we needed she would always manage to get it for us eventually.
My boys never had pocket money either, I worked on the same principle as my Mom and gave them money if they were going somewhere or needed something special..what you don't have you don't miss....I would dread to think what the average is these days !!
 
Like Astonite, my experience of pocket money began in the 40s.
My kid brother and I got sixpence a week, 3d to get into the Maypole Picture club and 3d to splash about at our leisure. The Maypole doubled the admission charge so we then got 9d.
After that I remember we had to earn our pocket money, (running errands etc), and anything we wanted we had to save for. There was a Christmas Club and a Fireworks Club at our local shop.
All that came to an end though, when I fell in love. With whitewall tyres, tourquoise frame and derailleur gears I just HAD to have that Phillips Kingfisher ! To get the bike I had to get a paper round to pay off the Hire Purchase. That was the end of my childhood !
 
I didn't get pocket money as such either, but when I was very young I had Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories delivered, I think it was 2d, when I got a bit older I had The Girls' Crystal. I was given the money to go to the pictures, and when the Fair came to the Serpentine I was usually give half a crown, and sometimes my older sisters would give me a couple of bob. If other things came along that I wanted money for I was told to take pop bottles back, or take rags to Holmes' Rag Yard opposite my grandparents in New John Street.
 
In the 50s as far as i can remember we,2 sisters and 1 brother,used to get 6d a week which was soon spent at the local shop,Mrs Shipman of Newton Road even in those days 6d never lasted long but i remember we all used to get 17s 6d every Easter,which my brother and i used to spend on Dinky Toys,during the summer months we used to work for extra money namely hedge cutting and mowing lawns locally to get money for trips to the Lickeys etc and in the winter we used to clear snow and we soon learnt the value of money happy days? yeah i think so
 
It's quite amazing that many of us did jobs and re-cycled bottles, rags and paper to earn extra pennies, I had a coal round on a Saturday, I would hire a barrow from William's coal wharf on Lichfield Road and fetch coal for people, some would give threepence, one bloke gave me two bob and I thought it was my birthday. It is nice to hear all your feed-back.
 
Was it 3d on the pop bottles with the stoppers and less without?,i too hada paper round with Perkins ? i think,maybe someone will know the newsagent on Stratford Road opposite the bus stops i also done a paper round with the newsagent on St Johns Road for the princely sum of 13s 6p,this was in the very early 60`s but i cannot for the life of me remember what i squandered it on.Another "earner" was penny for the guy ,outside Woolies and spending every penny with my mate Alan on sweets
 
Younger than the rest of you, I didn't get pocket money as such until I was 12, when I had 50 new pence a week and the "jackie" mag. If I wanted to go to the disco I had to earn the money by doing housework or errands.
My daughters, both in their twenties now had £2 a week plus extras to go out with, not always earned by themselves but aided by nan!! They used to complain bitterly that all their friends got more, so we gave them a choice of more pocket money from which they brought all they needed, like the hair sprays and bobbles and make up etc or carry on as they were Youngest one chose to stay put, eldest had the extra money, then realised how much all her extras cost and soon changed her mind!
My son (13) gets £15 a month into his bank account,but also gets extras and money to go out with, but has little concept of value of money despite all our best attempts - he will be showing dad things for the train board or his computer and says "that'snot bad Grand, only £30", dad can't believe him.
Sue
 
Back
Top