teenager starting full time work - how much 'board' to pay for living at home?

oystercatcher

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I think it's a shame when adult children aren't allowed to contribute and know that they're paying their own way in the world. Compulsory saving isn't the same thing at all.

I don't see why it isn't the same .
He's my child and always will be and I'm quite happy to support him and there will always be a home for him with me if he needs one.
If he had gone to university then I'd be having to support him for another three to five years. I had already planned for this so he is effectively saving me thousands of pounds. Why should I keep that when at the beginning of his career he needs a helping hand.
I don't need any extra financial contributions at the moment. I know that if I did then he would help me out. By putting approximately half of his salary into a direct debit to save for a deposit on a house he knows what it's like to not have most of his wages to spend. He's not extravagent or wasteful so I have no need to take his money.
This is what my parents did for me when I was young, I like to think I have excellent financial sense and hopfully have brought my children up to be the same . The system works for us , but I know many families that this wouldn't work for , quite simply because they have brought their children up to be incredibly selfish, wasteful and with no money sense! I have no time for the 'Must have latest 'Thing' NOW brigade'.

Oystercatcher

russet

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Some fairly indignant and confident replies so far.

Interestingly, I paid my Mum £50/week when I had my first (gap year) job, earning £200/week. She then gave it back to me when I went to university, since she was worried I hadn't been saving (which I had). Obviously they didn't need the money as much as the OP.

It is clear we all have different ideas on what is fair.

My parents did something similar for me. When I moved back in with them for 3 years after finishing university I payed £200 per month rent. When I moved out into my own place they payed me back half of all the rent I'd given them.

abby1234519

Last year after I finished my alevels, from July to October I worked at Costa Coffee, take home pay probably was about £150pw can't remember exactly. So I paid parents £40 each week. Looking back on it I don't think I was a very nice daughter to them. This is because I had lived with family friends for 6 months finishing my alevels as my parents had decided to move 200 miles away back to the lake district and I had to stay in suffolk. I didn't pay FF rent I just looked after the house I guess and cooked although I do know my parents were still receiving child benefit for me which I understand was legal. As I was 18 when I moved back to LD and my siblings are between 8 and 14 years younger than me, it was very difficult to go back to being a kid and having to ask permission to get down from the table. My parents have been through rough times and looking back on it I would have appreciated maybe sitting down with them and asking them to show me what they pay and so what a good contribution from me would be. I know they just basically came up with a random figure as they didn't know what I earnt and also I think it reflected what my dad paid his dad when he was 17 which taking inflation into account didn't make much sense to me. I have never learnt the value of money, my parents have always been to stressed to teach me. I wish they had otherwise I wouldn't be in debt at 19 possibly. As it stands, having gotten fed up at home and moved straight out to my boyfriends 60 miles away I have learnt the hard way. I honestly think I have only just started learning the value of money in the last 2 months. And I have lived here for 12 months with OH so my point of all that was DO teach your children the value of money, DO show them what it is not to have much spending money and do teach them that debt is a bit iffy! Otherwise you'll end up messed up like myself!

Oldernotwiser

oystercatcher wrote: »

I don't see why it isn't the same .
He's my child and always will be and I'm quite happy to support him and there will always be a home for him with me if he needs one.
If he had gone to university then I'd be having to support him for another three to five years. I had already planned for this so he is effectively saving me thousands of pounds. Why should I keep that when at the beginning of his career he needs a helping hand.
I don't need any extra financial contributions at the moment. I know that if I did then he would help me out. By putting approximately half of his salary into a direct debit to save for a deposit on a house he knows what it's like to not have most of his wages to spend. He's not extravagent or wasteful so I have no need to take his money.
This is what my parents did for me when I was young, I like to think I have excellent financial sense and hopfully have brought my children up to be the same . The system works for us , but I know many families that this wouldn't work for , quite simply because they have brought their children up to be incredibly selfish, wasteful and with no money sense! I have no time for the 'Must have latest 'Thing' NOW brigade'.

Oystercatcher

I'm not criticising something that works for you but commenting generally. I just think that many young people take a pride in knowing that they're contributing to the family and it seems a shame to take this away from them. Contributing to household expenses isn't just a question of learning money management but of taking pride in independence.

tinypawz

When I lived at home, I paid £50pw. This was for roof over my head, washing, food, cooking. I also had an additional cable box in my room, which I paid for myself.

The weekly payment was increased every year by £5.

Currently my brothers pay £65.

We sort of dicussed it when I left school to start working what amount I should contribute. My mum stopped getting child benefit for me, so all she wanted covered was that amount.

I moved out 3 years ago when I got married, and it was a HUGE shock to my system, going from £200odd a month for all house based stuff to nearly £800!

My ex salary wasn't that big to cover the difference, so belts were tighten.

But we did get used to it....and now I'm used to it on my own.

Looing back, I suppose it would have been better all round, if I had paid my mum more. More for the family 'pot' and more for me to learn the lesson that most money goes on running a house not a lifestyle!

honour88

Kudos to OP who explained to son how she determined the room & board fee. The whole point is to send our children into the world with a solid foundation.
I would ask our child to pay himself 1st 10% of take home and pay the household 30% of the remaining amount and relate it back to the costs. I would expect him to keep his room up, wash clothes and take self made lunch to work.