Raleigh News & Observer Logo

Snow: Living it up on an egg a week | Raleigh News & Observer

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Sponsorships
    • Stay connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Social Media Directory
    • N&O Store
    • Buy Photos
    • Databases
    • Archives
    • Newsletters

    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Health
    • Local
    • North Carolina
    • Nation/World
    • Science
    • Thumbs Up
    • Traffic
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • All News
    • Counties
    • Durham County
    • Johnston County
    • Orange County
    • Wake County
    • All Sports
    • Baseball
    • Canes
    • College
    • Columns & Blogs
    • High Schools
    • NASCAR & Auto Racing
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Panthers
    • Soccer
    • Schools
    • Duke
    • East Carolina
    • NC State
    • North Carolina
    • All Politics
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • State Politics
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • PolitiFact
    • PolitiFact NC
    • Rob Christensen
    • Under the Dome
    • All Business
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Health Care
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Shop Talk
    • Stocks Center
    • Technology
    • All Living
    • Video Now
    • Best-Kept Secrets
    • Blogs
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Home and Garden
    • Horoscopes
    • Mouthful
    • Past Times
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Video Now
    • Arts News
    • ArtsNow
    • Books
    • Contests
    • Dining
    • Entertainment
    • Games
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Television
    • On the Beat
    • Happiness is a Warm TV
    • All Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Dwane Powell
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters
    • Opinion Shop Blog
    • Other Views
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Advertise with us
    • Place Ad
    • Apartments
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Jobs
    • Legals
    • Obits/In Memoriams
    • Weddings
    • Today's Daily Deal
    • Special Sections
    • Today's Circulars
    • Rewards
    • Photo Store
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Legals

A.C. Snow

Snow: Living it up on an egg a week

By A.C. Snow

    ORDER REPRINT →

November 21, 2015 10:00 AM

My 12-year-old grandson recently has been negotiating with his parents for an increase in his weekly allowance. With his charm and general good conduct, I imagine he succeeded.

I don’t remember the amount of allowances that we gave our two daughters, if any at all.

We paid for their needs or provided spending money as the occasions warranted.

But allowances seem to be in vogue today. Our grandchildren, like many other children, earn their stipends by doing routine household chores, i.e. walking the dog, taking out the trash, washing dishes, etc. I like that.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

I wonder if Donald Trump’s children earned their allowances or were just routinely handed a thousand or so bucks a week without earning it by the sweat of their brows.

According to an Internet source, six out of 10 American parents dispense weekly allowances to their children. Amounts vary, according to various formulas arrived at by the donors and recipients.

One source suggested 50 cents a week for each year of the child’s age. For example, a 5-year-old would receive $2.50 per week, hardly enough for even a kindergartener’s night on the town.

Jim Fay, author of “Millionaire Babies or Bankrupt Brats,” suggests that parents sit down with their children to consider their proposals for allowances and then determine how those proposals fit into the family budget.

“The key is, there should never be enough allowance for children to have everything they want,” says Fay. “That prepares them for the real world of adults.”

Egg for candy

During my Great Depression childhood, with tobacco selling for 9 cents a pound, “walking around money” for kids was practically unheard of.

Oh, come to think of it, I did have an allowance of a sort. We kept chickens. It was customary then to barter eggs for such items as coffee, sugar, salt, etc. at a country store a mile or so from home.

When my mother sent me to the store with a dozen or two eggs, she usually allowed me to spend one egg for candy.

One egg would buy a “BB Bat” (candy on a stick) or a fist full of “silver points” (rich chocolate morsels that melted in the mouth.)

My “allowance” was occasionally boosted by a $5 bill from my sister, who was a nurse in Greensboro. You’d be amazed at how far five bucks would go back then.

While musing over children’s allowances, I received an e-mail on that subject from J.C. Knowles, local historian, former Wake school board member and author of the interesting Internet column, “North Carolina Minute.”

J.C. grew up at the Oxford Orphanage. He earned $1 per month working on the orphanage dairy farm where he milked six cows every day.

The monthly dollar would go to the treasurer’s office, where the children were allowed to draw out spending money.

Rat tails

“Another source of income was from trapping rats that populated the farm’s hay fields to keep then from infesting the orphanage campus,” J. C. recalls.

“For every rat we caught, we received a penny,” he said. “We would take the dead rats to the treasurer’s office, where Mr. Allen would cut their tails off and credit us a penny for each tail. Of course we had a system whereby we could fool Mr. Allen, who had poor eye sight, into cutting some tails off twice.

“Mr. Allen did not take to giving us much money at a time. Many a time when I would ask to draw out fifteen cents, he would say, ‘Jack, what in the world do you want fifteen cents for?’

“I would tell him that our cottage was approved to go to the movies, which cost ten cents. Then there was one cent to put in Sunday School and four cents to buy some candy. Mr. Allen would say, ‘Jack, you don’t need all that candy. I’ll give you twelve cents this week.’ And that’s what I got.”

When children of my generation complained about something or wouldn’t eat all the food on their plates, they were often sternly told, “Eat your food! Think of the starving children in Armenia!”

The admonition usually worked, although we had no idea Rwhere Armenia was nor why the children there were starving.

Today’s parents, while doling out allowances, might occasionally remind the beneficiaries of the multitudes of children going hungry in America.

Snow: 919-836-5636 or asnow@newsobserver.com

  Comments  

Videos

Watch the Gamecocks take on Kentucky at the Colonial Life Arena

A young team with 21 turnovers leads to loss against Kentucky

View More Video

Trending Stories

John Harris warned his father about legal red flags involving Bladen operative

February 20, 2019 02:13 PM

Three observations from No. 8 North Carolina’s 88-72 road win over No. 1 Duke

February 21, 2019 02:18 AM

Transgender woman has asked to be moved from a men’s prison. So far, NC has said no.

February 20, 2019 01:42 PM

Zion Williamson injured as No. 1 Duke falls to No. 8 UNC

February 20, 2019 11:11 PM

Zion Williamson injured during Duke-UNC game after foot blows through shoe

February 20, 2019 09:53 PM

Read Next

When was the last time you fed your soul with what you’ve been craving?

Living Columns & Blogs

When was the last time you fed your soul with what you’ve been craving?

By A.C. Snow

    ORDER REPRINT →

January 06, 2019 12:00 AM

‘Hyacinths for the soul’ means something you covet but cannot really afford, something you can well do without, but something that keeps returning to your mental want list.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE A.C. SNOW

The Christmas tree is more than just a decoration. It’s filled with stories and memories.

Living Columns & Blogs

The Christmas tree is more than just a decoration. It’s filled with stories and memories.

December 02, 2018 12:00 AM
A startling number of North Carolina families live in poverty

Living Columns & Blogs

A startling number of North Carolina families live in poverty

December 02, 2018 12:00 AM
Our president continues to defy expectations

Living Columns & Blogs

Our president continues to defy expectations

November 14, 2018 12:00 AM
Pen pals across the globe forge lasting friendship. They can teach us a lesson in diplomacy.

Living Columns & Blogs

Pen pals across the globe forge lasting friendship. They can teach us a lesson in diplomacy.

November 01, 2018 12:06 PM
When is it OK for men to cry in public? After Kavanaugh hearing, debate continues.

Living Columns & Blogs

When is it OK for men to cry in public? After Kavanaugh hearing, debate continues.

October 21, 2018 12:00 AM
Selective memory weeds out unpleasant ones

Living Columns & Blogs

Selective memory weeds out unpleasant ones

October 07, 2018 12:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Raleigh News & Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Triangletoday.com
  • Legal Notices
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Our Ads
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • N&O Store
  • N&O Photos
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Report News
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use


Back to Story