How much board should I be paying?

Gigglepig

It was just a suggestion to try to view things in a more positive light.

I assumed you did not know how much things cost in the real world (not subsidised uni accommodation) or you would not be whining about paying 150-170 a month.... It is a fraction of what it costs your mother to run the house, and much much less than rent+ bills would cost you anywhere else?

Yorkie1

Gigglepig wrote: »

It was just a suggestion to try to view things in a more positive light.

I assumed you did not know how much things cost in the real world (not subsidised uni accommodation) or you would not be whining about paying 150-170 a month.... It is a fraction of what it costs your mother to run the house, and much much less than rent+ bills would cost you anywhere else?

But the point is that most of those costs would be incurred irrespective of whether the OP was at home: rent / mortgage, CT, insurance, TV licence, parents' food.

OP is paying for her own food, her own toiletries, and in addition to her rent she contributes £20 per month towards the household Sky and something else (can't be bothered to go back through several pages to find the particular post). Dropping the Sky, as suggested earlier on, doesn't look like a possibility as it's a household expense (which could, of course, be dropped by the household if things are tight there ... )

Therefore the only extra household cost triggered by the OP's presence relates to the utilities. There is absolutely no way on earth that she will be costing the parents that sort of money, particularly as she says she isn't there that often.

Elsewhere on these boards, students are actively applauded for taking the loan and putting it in savings. Her dad is encouraging it too, but she's being roundly condemned for it.

She currently pays £130 plus the £20. Mum wants her to pay either £20 or £40 per month more. Therefore she would be paying up to £190 per month. That's quite a high %, particularly when you take into account that she's paying the same amount out in other living expenses.

Yes, it's less than living in the real world but I think some of you are being unduly harsh. I think any parent who just sees their child as a cash cow (not accusing anyone in particular of this) and charges them a considerable amount more than their cost of living actually is, needs to take a long hard look at themselves.

Humphrey10

amberstar wrote: »

I pay for all my car insurance, tax, mobile phone, sky tv and also buy my own food and toiletries etc totalling around an extra £200 on top. There's also travel to uni which costs a bit as I live about 15 miles away from it so I usually put around £30-£40 petrol in a week.

My Mum charges me £130 a month board which I think is reasonable, however she wants to charge me more in the region of £150/£170.

What's the £130 for? It looks like it's just for gas and electricity (and water if it is metered), so it seems rather high. It's not to cover council tax, as there is more than one person in the house whether you live there or not.

Gigglepig

Even if the mother makes a small profit, it sounds like a win-win situation if both the mother and the daughter are better off as a result? If OP doesn't like it or doesn't find it value for money she can just live elsewhere, she's an adult.

Maybe the mother doesn't want her child to feel too comfortable, and is encouraging her to move out by slowly moving the cost towards market rate...

Gigglepig

Perhaps Op's mother didn't reach this sum by adding up her additional costs, but by looking at what a room+ bills would have cost privately, and then offering her daughter to stay for a percentage of those costs. Who knows.

it is the mother's house, if it were me I'd either pay what she asks or just move out.

Brighton_belle

Gigglepig wrote: »

I assumed you did not know how much things cost in the real world (not subsidised uni accommodation) or you would not be whining about paying 150-170 a month....

The OP does not appear to be whining to me. She merely asked a question.

EmmaBridgewater wrote: »

Seems to me you're having your cake and eating it.

Claiming a loan you don't need just to cream off money with a lower interest repayment.

I thought this was a recognised money savvy way of using the student loan.

BitterAndTwisted

How much board should you be paying? Whatever it is that your mother is asking for. Another tenner a week is peanuts, really in the grand scheme of things. Or move out. You choose.

persa

candygirl wrote: »

Good luck with that then!!;)Hope he can survive in the REAL world:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Soleil_lune wrote: »

Funniest post of the day :rotfl: I assume you're kidding, but if you ARE being serious, then God help your son in the future, (and any 'future children.)

JMO, but this post looks like it has been written by someone quite young; almost certainly less than 20.

candygirl wrote: »

Awww bless his little cotton socks, n pity his future wife:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Some of us weren't charged board, and ended up perfectly normal, financially-savvy individuals.

When I was at university, I needed my parents' financial support.

Now I have left university, I am in a position where I can afford to live somewhere else, and treat my parents whenever I see them. We have a lovely relationship and if they ever needed any money from me, they'd have it. Instantly.

I strongly refute the belief that charging board irrespective of circumstances is required to end up with a child who understands the value of money. Good parenting is required, not a rent demand.

Quite separately, if the OP's parents need more money to keep the household afloat and the OP can afford to help, the OP should, even if that means going without a luxury. The whole point of family is to always help each other out financially and otherwise whenever circumstances permit. It's unusual for a student to be the one in a position of strength, but if that's the case here, that is the person who should help. But not because of some stupid blanket board policy.

It may work out cheaper or more expensive to live elsewhere, but that's really not the point. The point is that family should pull together.

If the OP is being asked for an arbitrary sum, I disagree with that. If the OP is being asked for additional costs to reflect additional bills, fair enough.

At the end of the day though, if mum disagrees, the OP will have no choice but to move out.

[Deleted User]

I think it's clear everyone has different opinions and I've started quite a debate over what people think is wrong/right. I'm not whining at all or complaining I've never once said I don't want to pay board.

Appreciate everyone's opinions and advice as that's all I was after. I will take this further with my Mum now.

Person_one

persa wrote: »

Some of us weren't charged board, and ended up perfectly normal, financially-savvy individuals.

We don't need to fill our posts with snide comments about 'reality' and loads of daft smiley faces either, maybe we're actually more mature as a result!

Teaching children how to manage money and stick to a budget should surely be happening long before they're old enough to be earning at all, let alone working full time as adults!

If you've got those skills already, then being able to live at home cheaply or for free (my parents charged me a token amount when I was working full time, nothing when I was studying or on JSA briefly) doesn't mean you're living in some sort of fantasy world, it means you've got a golden opportunity. I was a homeowner at 24 thanks to that opportunity.