An online user new to the working world has turned to the public for advice on how much of their paycheck to give to their parents as allowance. Many have left their two cents on the matter, with a few mentioning a five percent allocation.
A workforce newbie on Friday (Sept 23) posted an adult life question under a serious discussion thread on an online news form. “Hi everyone,” the user wrote, “I’ve just gotten my first paycheck and I was just wondering how much of it to give to my parents as allowance.”
In Asian culture, many families pass the baton of carrying the financial load onto the children when they start working.
“All they tell me is ‘give us whatever you think is right’,” the Singaporean explained, “and I have no idea what is right because I don’t have a frame of reference. Do you all do percentages or how do you all decide on the allowance for your parents?”
In response to this, others who are already used to the work life in Singapore flocked to the comments section to give some advice. While some preferred giving the parents a varying amount, others said they prefer giving a fixed amount every month. One numerical figure that came up quite a few times in the comments section was a five percent allocation. A few mentioned that they would give five percent for each parent.
Others held interesting discussions over the practice, with one saying, “The culture of filial piety recognises any sacrifices parents have done for their children and thinks it is good to repay them with gratitude, most commonly in money. It is regarded as a natural duty of the child.”
The person who posted the question, however, made clear their intentions, saying, “My parents don’t really need the money they are pretty much set for the rest of their lives. This is more a token of appreciation than anything.”
