How Much Pocket Money for a 6 Year Old in Australia

The short answer: $4–$6 per week

Six is an interesting age for pocket money. Kids are in school, they're hearing what their classmates get, and they're starting to notice that money can be accumulated over time — even if they don't do it consistently yet.

The suggested range of $4–$6/week ($5 being the most common midpoint) gives a six-year-old enough to make real choices without eliminating all scarcity.

What changes at age six

Compared to age five, six-year-olds typically have:

• A longer planning horizon — they can hold a goal in mind for 2–3 weeks
• A stronger sense of fairness — comparisons to siblings and friends become more pointed
• More exposure to prices — school tuck shop, the $2 coin machine at the supermarket

The most significant shift is the first glimmer of deferred gratification — the ability to not spend money now because something better is coming.

Introducing two pockets

Age six is a reasonable time to introduce the idea of two different purposes for money:

Spending: For whenever — treats, small toys, whatever they want Saving: For a specific goal they're working toward

You don't need to split the weekly payment formally. A simple system is: "This $5 is yours. If you want to save some of it for something bigger, we can keep track."

The goal isn't to force saving — it's to make saving feel like an option with a payoff.

A pocket money app makes this easy to show visually. A jar with a handwritten label on the fridge works just as well.

What six-year-olds typically spend on

• Tuck shop at school (if you allow this)
• Small toys from $2 shops or the supermarket bin
• Stationery, craft supplies
• Treats at the petrol station or newsagent

The common-sense rule: if you're happy for them to buy it at all, let them buy it with their pocket money. The spending choice is the lesson.

Chores and six-year-olds

Most six-year-olds can do:

• Make their own bed (loosely)
• Put their clothes in the laundry
• Set the table
• Put dishes in the sink

Whether these are paid or unpaid is a family call. The most durable approach: baseline household contributions are expected and unpaid; genuinely above-and-beyond tasks can earn extras. See our guide to pocket money vs chores for more.

The sibling question

If you have younger or older children, six-year-olds will notice discrepancies. The $1-per-year-of-age framework helps here — it's easy to explain: "When you're seven, you'll get $7. When Sam is six, she'll get $6."

Having a clear, visible system reduces negotiation.