01What you need
- Paper, marker and tape for the job list, price tags and a points tallyHave
- 5 to 8 small store items: stickers, a small toy, a treat, a choice of movie, an outingHave / $10
- A shelf or box to be the storeHave
- A phone or store flyer to check real pricesHave
Where: A table for the setup, and a shelf or box for the store.
Before you start
- Keep store items age-safe. Pick small treats and toys you'd happily hand over anyway, and keep small parts away from any younger sibling in the house.
- Points are theirs once earned. Never take points away as a punishment. That teaches them the store isn't real.
02Steps
Split the job list
TogetherWrite two lists. Family jobs are things everyone in the house does for free: making the bed, setting the table. Extra jobs are bigger things that earn points: washing the car, raking leaves. Say: "We all pitch in. Extras are how you earn."
Set the points
DadGive each extra job a points number and write it beside the job. Pick numbers you can keep up week after week. Keep a tally sheet on the fridge where they mark points themselves.
Stock the store
TogetherChoose store items and price them in points. Check the real price of the bigger items on a phone or flyer, and look at more than one place. Ask: "Why do you think it costs more here?" The most points should buy the best items.
Open the store
KidOn store day, they count their points and decide: spend now or save for something bigger. Say: "What's best for you?" Let them choose even if you wouldn't. Mark spent points off the tally.
Write the receipt
TogetherHave them write what they bought, how many points it cost and how many are left. Ask: "Would you buy it again?" Pick the next store day on the calendar.
03If it stalls
- If they refuse family jobs unless there are points, say: "Family jobs are free. Extras earn." Keep your family-jobs list short and stick to it.
- If points pile up, add a bigger item like a family movie pick. Points they can't spend stop mattering.
- If they spend everything at once, don't rescue them. Ask what they'd do differently next time and leave it there.
04Variations
Ages 6–7
Keep it to three extra jobs and small point numbers. Use picture price tags and run the store every week.
Ages 8–9
Let them suggest the extra jobs and the point prices, and add a savings target for one big item.
Two kids
Each kid keeps their own tally. Write the same points on the same jobs so it's fair.
Tried this? Tell us how it went
2 minutes
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05Sources
- Extra earning and decisions, ages 6 to 12. The CFPB's earning page for school-age children says to discuss what your family considers extra and how your child can earn it, and to talk with your child about their plans for the money they get. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Checked Oct 15, 2026
- Comparing prices and receipts, ages 6 to 12. The CFPB's shopping page for school-age children says it is a good habit to shop around and compare prices before buying, and offers a receipt activity for rounding and estimating. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Checked Oct 15, 2026
- Money habits at this age. The CFPB's milestones page for school-age children lists planning ahead or saving up for what they want, and making money choices that fit their own goals and values. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Checked Oct 15, 2026
Where the idea came from: a suggestion in a r/daddit thread, put in our own words. The facts above come from the sources listed, not the thread.
Filed under: Money · Chores
