Son to pay board

lisa76

I used to pay £100 per month when my take home pay was £500 (going back 15 years mind) - I thought I was hard done by but Mum was putting it aside for when I bought my house. I think it helped me learn to save a bit and I will try to do the same when my dd is earning. I don't know how much you should 'charge' him but if I were you I'd probably say £100.

plzhelpmesave!

My friends mum took board off her when she moved back home while separated. Her parents looked after her kids while she was working, and mum took over half of her wage each month. 6 years later, mum handed her over £30K of her momey that they had saved for her as her house deposit.....she was well chuffed!

I hope I can do it that way for my kids...but tbh, priority will be to make sure me and DH have enough money for ourselves to live on when we are older. the kids will have had our support and love to get them into adulthood, so hopefully they can make their own in life

COOLTRIKERCHICK

BigMoneyMaker wrote: »

Nothing!!...

I wont be charging my kids any money for board, you charge lodgers to stay in your home not your family, specially if they are only earnin 220 a week, i suppose it is different if you are hard up and strapped for cash though.

BMM

Charging lodge is also a way to teach your kids about bills, and by charging them lodge you are making them realise that not all the money they earn they can go and blow it all on a staturday night in the pub, and buy those designer shoes etc..

basically you are introducing them to the real world...

yes times are tough for loads of people.... and have you got teenage kids that have bottomless pits for a stomach?????

when your kids are working, you will soon change your tune... unless you are in an extreme privilage position...


£220 odd is more or less the normal adult weekly wage in loads of places, so it is not 'only' £220, it IS £220 and families have t0 live off it....

mabelmoo_2

I paid my parents board when I left uni & got a job closer to home. I think it was around £25 per week, but it taught me a valuable lesson in budgetting and understanding that my monthly wage was not just mine! Meanwhile I saved to buy a house of my own and think that you should charge your son.

The amount depends on what you feel is right, £25 a week is mimimal by todays standards so taking inflation into account and his current wage I think £35 per week would be suitable.

HTH

VfM4meplse

I left home late (26) but was never asked to contribute financially. It undoubtedly gave me a good start as it helped me save for a deposit and buy my own home; although I would regularly shop for the family it was never expected, and do a lot of housework (that was expected!).

I don't understand the mentality of people who charge their children board when they start earning, it's not teaching them the way of the world. It would be far better to help children plan for the future and agree financial goals. Children are a lifetime commitment, if you can't afford them, don't have them.

[Deleted User]

Neither the parent(s) or the child should be considered a money tree for the other. It's not about parents affording to have children or not, it's about helping them manage in an ever more difficult environment. If the child doesn't learn the value of money now, will they ever? If they have £194 net each week, what will they do with it all? Walk around a city centre at night and observe how many choose to spend their time and money ...

I must say I liked skylights comments about saving, keeping and spending a third ... allows the child to have fun, see the benefits of working and also learn the lifetime habit of how to save.

They will appreciate later, even if they don't see the benefit now (saving £60 pw for three years should give them almost £10000 with interest).

tescobabe69

Luckily both my kids are sensible with money (tight) and are fully aware of household costs, they will pay what they cost, at the moment £30/week irrespective of earnings.I reckon they will hang around until my rules start to irritate them.
It appears to me that if you provide the equivilent of a free, fully serviced room with food and entertainment thrown in, the liklihood of someone leaving is fairly slim.

ianbar0

i think it depends on your situation really. if you need the money then a little board isn't a bad thing, even if your not struggling you could keep it or at least part of it and give it for there first car etc. i was personally never asked to pay board by my late mum. i have still learnt to budget especially when my mum died and i took over doing the weekly shop. i feel i py my way by doing the cooking and pack ups and as i say i do the shopping and list which i spend a lot less than we used too. there are many ways to pay your way.

nickj_2

i think i paid my mum £40 per week and that was probably 25 years ago and i was earning around £200 p/w then
you need to teach your kids a tough lesson to learn , that when they do leave home they will have to pay their way and that will be far more than £40 or 50 per week , that they won't have money to spend on going down the pub , or wasting on the latest must have xbox game . you are teaching them the lesson of life , it's hard and tough out there in the real world

newish2this

Surely if the child is working full time they should contribute towards the household bills (including board as the mortgage still has to be paid) as part of the family?

Why should both parents be expected to work and pay for everything and the child not? Doesn't seem fair to me especially as the parents have kept them until the day they start work.

Granted, if they were millionaires then maybe they could overlook this but surely any child would want to help ease the burden for their poor parents too?