Guides

Short, concrete, from the practice of a family with two teenagers in Zurich. Three texts: introducing a youth wage, drafting the contract, coupling pocket money to chores.

A youth wage means: instead of one-off amounts, your kid gets a fixed monthly frame and takes on clothes, phone or leisure. Sackgeld, the app, turns that into earned money: household positions, a photo when reporting, confirmation by the parents, payout at the end of the week. The three guides answer the questions that come before you start — not how to click the app.

Who the texts are for

For parents who want to introduce a youth wage or chore-linked pocket money and need a clear agreement. Not a substitute for budget counselling and not a pedagogy debate. Where the classic recommendation differs, the text says so, so you can decide what fits your family.

How the texts were written

The three texts come from daily life with two teenagers, not from a study. Amounts, positions and the Sunday rhythm are the same ones the app enforces. Where the budget counselling service or the Jugendlohn association advise differently, the text says so. Each piece ends at the calculator, so the thinking turns into a number you can sign.

• Introducing a youth wage: how to start

  When a youth wage makes sense, how much it should be, and how to handle the first week.

• The youth-wage contract: what it must contain

  Positions, amounts, weekly settlement, consequences: the five points without which a contract does not hold.

• Coupling pocket money to chores: pro and contra

  Budget counsellors advise against it, many parents do it anyway. Both sides, honestly.

Calculator, contract, chore plan

If the amount should fit, the youth-wage calculator turns age and coverage into a monthly figure and weekly positions. The contract is printable, the chore plan is a fridge sheet. The app enforces the same rules once the household is running: photo on reporting, one-tap confirmation, weekly report on Sunday evening.