I was another that never got an allowance, but had a BUNCH of chores to do every day after school. I got an afternoon newspaper route when I was 12 and worked it 7 days a week by myself until I was 16. I also bussed tables, washed 50 lbs. of Pinto Beans, peeled and cored 40 lbs. of Brown Onions, washed dished and did closing clean-ups at a Mexican style fast food restaurant when I was 14. (my Social Security statements show me starting to pay into that program when I was 14) Anyway, with the money I saved, I bought my first motorcycle, a Kawasaki G5 100, model car kits (which retailed at 2 bucks a pop back then) and supplies, Hot Wheels cars (still have all of the first three year's editions stashed away) CarToons magazine, Car Craft Magazine ('cause it sold for 35 cents and Hot Rod was 50 cents) Dirt Bike and Motocross Action magazines and, occasionally, Mad Magazine.