How much to charge 18 year old for board & lodge

susank

I asked mine to contribute as they were earning and also expected me to shop, clean and cook as I had previously done for them both - it also prepares them for bills in the future.

miaxmia

black-saturn wrote:

It depends, if you ever want your daughter to be able to save up enough money to be able to buy her own house and stand on her own two feet in the future you should not go overboard with taking money off her. If you can afford to keep her yourself (which you have been doing up until now) you shouldnt be taking any money off her. Only when she gets a really well paid job should she start paying keep.

I agree with the first comment, but I think you should take something - I think it would depend on how much your daughter will be earning. I am a bit of a softie and have only taken £65 a month off my daughter, even though she has a degree and a well paid job. This has enabled her to save a deposit for her own house, which she is about to move into next weekend. This would have been impossible for her if we had taken much more as it is difficult enough for youngsters to get onto the property ladder these days. Not every parent can afford to carry on supporting their children though. Obviously your daughter may not be looking to any future commitments just yet, but it is a thought.

jennybear

I took a gap year to try to save some money not to be saddled with such a huge debt when I started uni (not exactly working out that way!) and living at home during that time I paid a third of the phone bill and broadband costs and £30 a week in rent. Realising now how lucky I was then as even house sharing with 3 other people I pay over that a week in bills, forget rent. Circumstances mean I will have to move home during my final year of uni, my parents have told me they dont expect any rent from me but for me to put into a savings account the amount I would have been spending on rent to help towards saving for my own place. The other part of the deal is giving my kids brothers lifts to school and doing some meals, washing, cleaning etc around the house. I feel very lucky with that deal!

nicola1982_2

My mum charged me £100 per month, but I would look at what she's earning and perhaps work out what she can afford if she is sensible with money. Furthermore I would perhaps secretly put a little aside out of this (maybe charge a little extra than you need) to give her when she wants to get her own place. Another recommendation is to start putting stuff you no longer want in the garage or attic. She'll probably need it when she moves out!!

pavlovs_dog

OH and i pay his parents £200 a month between the 2 of us. we also buy our own food and help around the house. we have exclusive use of one room, and are the main users of a second (but clear out on the vary rare occasion that we have a guest staying overnight).

the reason they charge so little is to allow us to save a good deposit for a house. having seen their other son struggle to get on the property ladder they are quite willing to help us avoid making the same mistakes, and we really appreciate their generosity

juno

pavlovs_dog wrote:

OH and i pay his parents £200 a month between the 2 of us. we also buy our own food and help around the house. we have exclusive use of one room, and are the main users of a second (but clear out on the vary rare occasion that we have a guest staying overnight).

the reason they charge so little is to allow us to save a good deposit for a house. having seen their other son struggle to get on the property ladder they are quite willing to help us avoid making the same mistakes, and we really appreciate their generosity

I want to live with you! Is there any room?!

pennies_from_heaven_2

hi i know its a difficult one. but if it helps when i lived at home i paid no rent. When i was around 19 or 21 i helped my parents who were elderley buy there house. I would pay for the mortgage and phone bill also some shopping. The problem i had was that i did not accept responsibility.
In a way i wish my parent shad taken money from me, althought paying the mortgage i knew one day the house would be mine.
Regarding your daughter i would ask her to help around the house and ask her what her dreams are, ie flat or house of her own. tell her that from the rent she pays you could put half or 10% away for her in a saving account.
hope this helps

wayne

black-saturn wrote:

It depends, if you ever want your daughter to be able to save up enough money to be able to buy her own house and stand on her own two feet in the future you should not go overboard with taking money off her. If you can afford to keep her yourself (which you have been doing up until now) you shouldnt be taking any money off her. Only when she gets a really well paid job should she start paying keep. Shes going to think she now has to pay for your love.

what a daft thing to say saturn.firstly haven,t you ever heard of child benefit or child tax credit?once your off spring start working the credits stop.also making your children pay keep teaches them responsability.shows them that they have to buget thier money and not go out and blow it all on a friday night.as for paying for your love what a crass thing to say.

Spirited_2

I like the idea of taking a reasonable (perhaps a little on the soft side) rent and then saving, say, half of it for them. Not in a demeaning way, but as a leaving presant as a deposit for their first home. A parent's job is to prepare children for adult life, learning about money and budgeting is part of that.

I have really taken issue with the idea that kids 'should' be more grateful. In the world of sex education and free contraceptives, we choose to have children.

I didn't have a job whilst I lived at home - my parents were 'happy' for me to concentrate on my studies. I did however have to do above and beyond normal babysitting for my siblings, to the extent that I lost a lot of my childhood to being a mother to children that I didn't choose to have.

I left home the summer I left school and felt guilty for ages for leaving 'my' babies behind. I have only once asked my parents for an advance on money that they were oblidged to give me anyway (as a student when I was ill) they refused, and I haven't asked them fr anything since.

I would be more generous with my kids, but try and prepare them for adulthood.

skyepark

AS a daughter, I would like to stand up for those who are being charged rent by their own parents, fair a few quid is ok for food and electricity or gas. But charging them close to a weeks rent in a bedsit. This wont help your children save and have money to leave home, its hard enough trying to get a decent paid job after all these years of education to help us get that job.

Every situation is different but wouldnt it be better if the rent they paid you would be saved up and used as a deposit on a place of their own or even a renters deposit. Life is already damn expensive trying to fit in work and a private. Just a thought to all you parents.