How much to charge 18 year old for board & lodge

Zoetoes

I left home at 16 so only had a YTS when I was paying keep to my mum which was £10.

My sons are only 12 & 5 now so I don't need to worry about it for a while but my OH is the type to say they should get a job at 16 & start paying a 'proper' amount of keep, whereas I would prefer it if they either went onto further education or did an apprentice & when it comes to keep I wouldn't ask for much, it's not the same as having a lodger, they're my kids!

us,thecat&thedebt

when i was living at home i paid 25 per week from a 150 pw income..
what i didnt know was my parents put it aside for me and when i moved out gave it to me for the rental deposit on my home and for furniture..
my oh never paid rent but he paid for his own toiletries ect and paid the gas and electric bills

getting them to pay a specific bill is a good idea as it shows you want them to help with costs and not just taking the money to be mean it can be really hard for some 18-19 yr olds to understand

paying your way when living at home pays in the long run as you learn about money ect at the end of the day if you pay 20% of your wages you can still save a lot more than your own place would cost!!!!

beautifulgorgeous_2

It is not fair to the youngster or future partners if they are allowed to spend all their money on cd`s clothes etc as it will be a terrible shock when they need to use money for boring things like mortgage gas electricity etc as some of the posts on here shows. I think the most important thing is having a sensible budget and sticking to it so that good habits are made.

vishpatel

I'm 27 & currently live rent/board free with my brother. Can't afford to buy a flat/house so savings loads.

Although not a parent, my view on this is if the parents need the cash (ie aren't particularly well off) they should definitely charge whats right. If the parents don't need the cash, they should probably still ask for it, and instead of using the cash, they should put it aside for the son/daughter to use at a later date i.e. as a deposit for their first house, or their wedding.

Thats just my take. I'm indian, and its very rare for our parents to ask for rent/board. I can definitely see how it teaches you the value of money though... which came to me a bit later than most.

Tom_Saunders

This is a very tricky situation.....I used to give my mum £10 per week on a friday and then loan £20 back every Thursday !! I was spoilt.

however I still bought my own house at 20 and have stood on my own 2 feet ( with my wife) for the past 14 years....

If parents need the money they should charge, if not they shouldn't. I have two kids aged 7 & 4 and I hope that I never have to take a penny of them until they are both playing for Liverpool and I can retire !!

freebie_junkie

i think its pretty sick to expect to live with your parents,
(a) beyond mid 20's
(b) rent free

even if youre parents are minted what do you learn from living free? youre a baby still they mite as well still wipe your bum!


i saw a fella of 32 last nite on 'would you buy a house with a strnager?' who still lived at home and his mum emptied his washing basket and brought the clothes back clean and ironed- the silly sod thought the tumble dryer was the washer!!! i nearly threw up in disgust!!!

vishpatel

Ultimately the main reason why older offspring are living at home is House Price Inflation.

Yes, you can blame the 'kids', but ultimately it's the way society is going unless there is a natural or forced correction in prices

freebie_junkie

im 22 myself and i wouldnt dream of sponging off my parents!

all of these kids who still live at home have regular jobs, im on IB so whos better off?!

but i still wouldnt dream of living at home, plus who wants their lives ruled at 22 by their prents?! yucksville!

freebie_junkie

it knocks me sick

ladypeanut

i paid 100 a month from the time i started work but when i was ready to move out i got it all back . They saved it all for me..... i think that was a good idea...