House keeping

Hiram

How much should house keeping be?


I paid £45 per month in 1983 which using the RPI index and an online calculator ranges from £106.17 to £142.08 in 2015. My Mom spent the money.


My husband paid £40 per month in 1978 which ranges from £160.45 to £222.42 in 2015. Figures vary on different websites. My husband's Mom gave him the money back years later.


My son is living at home and says he is not going to move out, so I think we need a contribution. Is a percentage fair, a set amount or should I look at our bills and divide them?


Please note: I do not want to discuss: it is my child's home and therefore they do not need to pay or they do jobs instead.


So, how much should house keeping be?

peachyprice

Impossible to say without knowing what your son's income is.

If he's only earning minimum wage he's contrubution should be far less than if he's earning £25k!

Stevie_Palimo

This is like how long is a piece of string as there are lots of factors involved like the above post of wages earned, Also does he help out around the home does he have food and washing all done for him, I would ask for an amount that he feels happy with and that you can accept.


Going on what paid years ago means very little to as times change as well as outgoings increasing by a large amount ie:- mobile phone contracts and so on.

arbrighton

How old is son? Is son working/ studying/ on JSA?

theoretica

What does it cost you to have him at home? Probably about 1/3 of what you spend on food, utilities, maybe slightly higher insurance (they always ask how many people anyway). Maybe extra petrol?

If he weren't living with you would you rent his room out for an income?

Do you want to encourage him to move out? You could plan increases into his contribution until he is paying the going rate for a house share/room rental.

What will he do with the rest of his money? Spend or save? If he is spending it how will his 'fun' spending compare to yours'?

Rambosmum

I paid £180 pcm in 2003 regardless of my salary (setting up for 'real life), when I wasn't in full time education e.g. in my gap year. I bought my toiletries but ate with the family on the whole. My mum gave me half of it back when I moved in to my own place after university. I didn't know she was going to do that and it was a nice surprise, amounted to about £1000 I think.

My younger brother, aged 22, now pays my mum £250 pcm. Unbeknown to him she's saving half of that for him as he's looking to buy a house next year.

LilElvis

Is this indefinite? Does he currently spend all of his income, or is he saving towards a deposit on a rental/purchase? If he is looking to move out eventually and is conscientiously saving towards it then I would ask for the minimum so that he reaches his goal - especially as house prices are escalating faster than inflation.

onomatopoeia99

I paid my parents £25/week when I was 18 (1987) and took a "year off" before university, during which I worked full time in an office, earning £98/week gross.

1/4 gross seems reasonable.

chelseablue

Before I moved into my own place in 2010 I gave my parents £150 a month.


My brother still lives there and gives £200 a month (which I think is a bargain considering he earns over £50,000 a year).


For that he gets all his food, all utilities, plus his washing and ironing done.
I think I might move back!

Classyglassy

Depends on wages but I used to pay between £80-£100 a month but I used to buy a lot of my own food and did most of my ironing/washing/cooking/cleaning

mrsHall2b

I paid 1/4 of my wages, benefits where my own (I moved back ome when pregnant with daughter 1 & I kept my child benefit/tax credits etc. They only took money from wages, unless I went to jsa then they would again take 1/4. as far as I know they did the same with my brother and do the same with my sister.

but my parents used to drive us around everywhere quite a lot (my brother played rugby and spent weekends travelling to and from matches), we all used the internet a lot. It was fair, I didnt have any other ougoings bar my mobile so I still ended up with a lot of money for myself, which I used to buy foody treats (I had one cupboard in the kitchen which was food I had bought myself which was mainly crisps and chocolate treats)