Letting kids waste their allowances is an incredibly useful tactic.
My parents gave me an allowance, then carefully audited every purchase and refused to let me spend it on things they didn't think were good value. Which is 1) a waste of their time 2) frustrating for the kid and 3) utterly defeats the purpose, because I never got to learn restraint or budgeting, and it bit me on the ass when I was in my early 20s.
Re:Minecraft Set to Launch Its Own Currency
by josephg on Monday April 10, 2017 @09:12PM
(#14084070)
Thats doubly clever, because it makes the child complicit in not getting the candy. "Well, you spent all your money yesterday" is a much better reason than "I've decided you won't have that". Children don't yet have the skills to question the system their choices are embedded inside. (That comes waaaay later - arguably not until your 20s.)
kid wants a lolly from the checkout? subtract from the allowance, and make sure the kid knows the remaining. don't restrict what the allowance can be used for, but strictly police the amount per month.
they have to learn from early on, this useful skill of trade off and long term planning. it's never too late to start.