Do you give your kids allowance?

If so, how much? And when did you start to do it?

The other day I posted a question about what to do when my children bicker and badger me. No one replied, which either means no one read it or your kids do the same thing to you and so you don't have an answer for me.

One of my friends makes her kids pay her whenever they do something annoying like that. Each infraction is a nickel or a quarter. Her kids are really into money so that works for them...but it wouldn't work for me because my kids have no money! Occasionally they get $5 from Grandma or Great-Auntie Margie or the Tooth Fairy (the Tooth Fairy is way cheaper than Great-Aunt Margie, by the way), which I let them keep and spend on whatever little tchotckes (how do you spell that?) that they want, but my older one (age 7) in particular blows through whatever money he gets like crazy.

We don't give allowance. I don't see the point right now. My kids have some really basic chores but I don't want to tie them to money. In my opinion setting the table, putting away your laundry, and picking up whenever I tell them to are basic parts of being a family.

I have offered my older son opportunities to earn money, but he never takes them.

I know that some day soon we should give him some kind of allowance, but when? And how much? And should it be tied to chores?

Here's an article on The Motley Fool website that says yes, children should get allowance. It will help them become money savvy. Hmm...my older son is definitely not money savvy, and my 4 year old still puts pennies in his mouth. I'll have to think on this idea...