Games today are designed by psychologists to bypass the "spending pain" part of the brain. Fortnite uses V-Bucks, Minecraft uses Minecoins, and Brawl Stars uses Gems. By layering a fake currency over real money, developers make it easier for kids (and adults) to lose track of what they’re actually spending.

If your kid is asking for money every time a new "season" drops, they aren't learning to budget; they’re learning to lobby a lobbyist (you). Transitioning to a digital allowance puts the "pain of paying" back where it belongs: on the consumer.

You can’t give a 10-year-old a wad of twenties and expect them to fund their Steam account. You need a bridge.

This is the heavy hitter for a reason. It’s a debit card for kids that you control from your phone. You can set automated allowance transfers, tie payments to chores (like unloading the dishwasher or finally cleaning the "Skibidi" drawings off the wall), and—most importantly—see exactly where they are spending.

If Greenlight feels a bit too "banking-heavy," GoHenry is great for younger kids. It has "Money Missions" which are basically interactive games that teach financial literacy. It’s a bit more colorful and gamified, which appeals to the Minecraft demographic.

For teens, sometimes the simplest solution is the best. If they have an iPhone, you can set up Apple Cash Family. You send them money via iMessage, and they can use it with Apple Pay. It’s less about "teaching" and more about "utility," making it a solid choice for high schoolers who just need to buy lunch or a movie ticket.

Ask our chatbot for a comparison of kid-friendly debit cards

Parents often ask if Roblox is "good" because kids can technically make money by creating games.

The No-BS Take: For 99.9% of kids, Roblox is a consumer pit, not a business incubator. While Roblox Studio is a legitimate tool for learning game design and Lua coding, the "Developer Exchange" (turning Robux into real USD) has high thresholds that most kids will never hit.

However, if your kid is actually spending hours in Roblox Studio or learning to 3D model in Blender, that’s a different conversation. That’s a hobby worth "investing" in. But buying a "Rainbow Magic Carpet" for 500 Robux? That’s just consumption.

At this age, "digital" is still too abstract. Use a physical jar for their "Save/Spend/Give" money, but when they want to buy something in a game like Toca Life World, have them "hand over" the physical cash to you before you hit the "Buy" button on your phone. It creates a physical connection to the digital loss.

This is the sweet spot for Greenlight. Give them a set monthly amount that covers their "wants"—gaming skins, Squishmallows, or that trendy water bottle. When the money is gone, it’s gone. No advances. No "I'll pay you back tomorrow."

Teens should be managing a larger "bucket" of money that includes things like clothing, gas, and social outings. Use Step or a student checking account. This is the time to let them make "stupid" financial mistakes while the stakes are still relatively low. Better they blow $100 on a hyped-up streetwear drop now than blow a rent check on it at 22.

When your child wants to spend $15 on a skin in Fortnite or Valorant, don't just say "that's a waste of money." To them, it isn't. Their digital avatar is their identity in their social circle.

Instead, ask these three questions:

If they can answer those and still want the skin, let them buy it. The lesson comes when they want something else three days later and realize their balance is $0.00.

Check out our guide on common gaming scams

We are the first generation of parents raising "Digital Natives" who may go weeks without touching a physical coin. Our job isn't to prevent them from spending money online—that's the world they live in. Our job is to make sure that when they click "Purchase," they feel the weight of it.

Check out our guide on setting up iPhone parental controls