A CHORE CHART THAT WORKS!

Mamas! I've got a great idea for you today!!

Are you constantly trying to get your kids to help out around the house but tend to just let it go because it's just not worth the fight? This was me. I'm ashamed to say that I am not the best at laying down the law when it comes to getting my boys to do their chores. It's probably because it's almost easier to just do it myself--THE RIGHT WAY. Less arguing, less yelling, less TIME. All that aside, we've somehow managed to raise really great kids. They are kind, respectful, smart, athletic, funny and responsible. Do they love chores? NOPE. But do they love money?? YEEEESSSSSS.
Lately, the boys have been asking for a lot of stuff. Enough so that I had finally had enough with all the begging (because I kept saying no) and finally decided to figure out a solid plan to help them EARN it. (If you are new here, my kiddos are almost 9 and 11.)
So, here we are!
This little project was completely inspired by Pinterest and the dozens of chore charts I found there but I wanted to share my version and how it's working for us.

It was so simple too! I grabbed a spare bulletin board out of Mason's closet, found some push pins I already had and typed out some chores the boys could do along with what each chore was worth.

After I cut the chores out (along with a small explanation of how this works that I mounted on a piece of yellow cardstock), I just tacked up the chores that needed to be done to the board. I included the corresponding money amount behind each chore. For the coins, I just used little baggies. (Yes, I had to go to the bank to get a bunch of dollar bills too! I never have cash!)
Also, I just ordered these push pin/clips to try out instead of the push pins. I think they are going to be PERFECT!

The best part about this chart is that there is instant gratification for the kids which keeps them invested in their tasks. They know that dollar is just waiting for them as soon as they finish!
I decided to hang the board right below our weekly family calendar so they could see it easily. The white board calendar is currently on sale right now for under $10 by the way!

I have several chores posted above but the board won't always be this full. For example, after Mason picked up the front and backyard (and I checked his work), he got his dollar from the board and the slip of paper went up there on the top left with all the ones not currently in use. Once the yard gets messy again...which will happen very soon I'm sure...I'll move the slip back with another dollar behind it.

This plan is not without its faults of course. It's not perfect but it's a HUGE start. When I was thinking of some of our biggest issues when it comes to keeping things tidy, I couldn't seem to figure out how to make a chore that just said "quit leaving your socks, shoes, hoodies, underwear and pants laying all over the living room". I mean, how exactly do I put that on a slip of a paper and give it a monetary value? So instead, I told the boys that any time I have to get on to them for not cleaning up after themselves (including leaving dishes out, Cheez-It wrappers stuffed behind throw pillows, their clothes and towels on the bathroom floor after a shower, and baseball cards scattered across the floor) then I will take money away that they've already earned.
This gives them a huge incentive to keep things picked up.
And y'all. THIS IS ALL WORKING!!

Mason is my little business man. He loves to make money and he isn't afraid of hard work.

He's had his eye on a FitBit-type watch ever since he realized he lost his Garmin. (Grrrr....) There was no way I was going to buy him a new one considering he lost his old one and told him he could wait until his birthday in April. But he hates to wait. So when he was introduced to this Chore Chart, he was ALL ABOUT IT. For the past week, he has been coming straight home and checking the chart to see what all he can do to earn money. He's been loading and unloading the dishwasher every day, cleaning his room, cleaning out my car, vacuuming... He gets upset when I don't have anything else for him to do!

Yesterday, he was at $18 (he needed $21) but unfortunately for him, it was also the day our cleaning ladies come. (They come once every other week.) So he was kind of running low on things that needed to be done once he got home from school. He ended up squeaking out another $3 worth of chores though and he forked over his $21 while I ordered his watch off of Amazon.
Y'all! He was so proud as he counted out the money into my hand. I even upgraded his shipping so that it would come today instead of Friday because I was so proud of him!
Matthew also decided to buy a new book with some of his money. (He chose this one that he saw at the Book Fair but was cheaper on Amazon.) When the boys turn their cash over to me when they want to buy things, it also restocks my cash supply for the chart so that works out nicely!
The best part is that you really don't need much to do this project! Here are the few items you'll need. Cheap, quick and so easy!
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WHY I LOVE THIS
I know there are people with differing opinions on paying your kids to do chores but here's why I love this.
The boys are learning that you have to actually work in order to earn money to buy the things you want. They are setting goals and working towards them. They are taking pride in their work. They are learning to save up and pick and choose what to spend their money on. They are learning responsibility. And they are learning that money doesn't just appear out of nowhere when you want something. You work hard, you get paid. The end.
They are also learning that there are consequences to leaving your Cheez-It wrappers hidden behind my couch cushions. ;)
This has also been eye-opening when it comes to the differences in my kids' personalities. Matthew is much more laid-back when it comes to making money. He's got a little but he doesn't really care about buying much. So he's been on that slow and steady pace. He's definitely my saver.
Mason, on the other hand, is my little hustler. It's one of the only things I feel like he gets from me and I love it! I told y'all about him trying to sell Craig's autographed football cards to his friends for $5! (We squashed that real quick.) He is always trying to come up with ways to make money. It's been fun to see this side of his personality come out. He's not afraid to work his butt off for his reward. And I can totally respect that.
So there ya go! This board is working WONDERS in my house, girls. Yes, it's teaching the boys' responsibility and all that but it's also lightening my load SO MUCH!! They are almost 9 and 11 now and I feel like it's definitely time for them to start "manning up" and gaining more responsibility around the house. And for us, this has been the perfect way to dive on in.
If you have kids you want to try this on or have littles that you want to save this for, feel free to pin the image below! I'm proud of myself for even making a graphic for this so please...feel free to pin it. haha (PS: You can follow me on Pinterest HERE.)

I'd love to know if you plan on trying this! Let me know in the comments!
And don't forget to check the Facebook Group for all the Daily Deals today!!

EDIT: I thought about making a printable for the chart but I figured that not all our chores would be the same in every household and not everyone would want to give the same monetary value to each chore. If you are interested in one though, let me know below!