Going rate for digs?

ZootHornRollo

Hiya,

my stepdaughter has just decided she is not going to go back to college this year and will get a job instead to save up with the idea of going away to brazil to do volounteer work.

we feel she should really finish colleege before she jaunts of round the world but thats another story.

we were wondering what the going rate for digs is these days. we are determined that if she leaves college she will be paying her own way and learing about adult responsibilties, not just working to earn beer tokens (or bacardi breezer tokens as the case may be).

how much do you charge your "young adults" who are still living at home?

durham_girl

My little sister pays £40 a week board, and she buys her own food, does her own washing, has her own life basically in my parents house. She is currently getting broadband installed, and is paying for that too.

I think it's a good thing, as it's *sort of* preparing her for the big wide world, when you have to pay your own bills :eek:

Yorkshire-Lady_3

My DD and DS both pay £20 a week.
I know it's not enough, but for me, £40 a week from them is more than I had while they were at school when I was paying bus fares/lunch money etc, so in effect, I'm much better off!
They both drive and have cars, and I want them to have enough money in their own pockets to enjoy going out and paying their own way.

Maybe in the new year, I'll increase it a little.

Sally

ZootHornRollo

i was thinking somewhere in the region of £30 so i guess i wasn't that far off.

thanks

honeypop

Going by past threads, a lot of people seem to do it 20% of take home pay, plus do all own washing, buy own food, make own meals (unless sitting down for a family meal) etc...

The 20% money covers rent, bills etc, and if the offspring wish to have services included like laundry and cooking, then it could be increased appropriately. This might make them decide to pay less each month therefore having more money for themselves but get them doing their own bits around the house.

Nenen

My eldest ds (22) who is a recent graduate and just started his first full time job, is giving us £200 per month. This includes all his food and washing powder etc, plus use of my wireless broadband connection to his laptop. However, he is expected to muck in with some chores, eg wash his own clothes (plus sheets etc and he'll often throw in a bit of our stuff too), make his own packed lunches and cook an evening meal for us all a couple of times per week (my dh and I share cooking other nights so we each do 2 nights on average (depending upon who gets home first) with younger ds who is still at college on dishwasher duty)! Oldest ds runs his own car and buys all his own clothes, toiletries etc.

I suppose it's a little easier for us as he learned to be independant while living away at uni and so is very good at getting on with things like cooking if he is the first one home from work, or running a hoover round the place when needs be. He's also more aware of living costs as what we ask him for in housekeeing is less than he was paying in rent at uni (and that was without food etc thrown in).

In your situation I'd certainly spell it out to dd how much she will be expected to pay you towards her housekeeping and what chores in the house she will be sharing with you as she wll be a working adult rather than a student! maybe, if you make it unappealing enough, she'll decide to go back to college!
Good luck!

Angel1980_2

Hi

My parents used to take £40 per week, but £20 of it they saved and gave us back when we really needed it!!

Great idea i thought

ailuro2

1/4 of take home pay, tidy your room, muck in with cooking,cleaning etc.

anything less is doing them no favours- it's a lot less than they'd pay in the big bad world.

If you like you can put the money away but not tell her- then when she e-mails from Brazil wanting a Western Union handout there'll be an emergency fund there.;)

hellies

I had an easy life at home- had to pay £15 p/w and did nothing around the house, except clean/tidy my own room! my dad also gave me all my £15s back when i bought my own house too! my oh had to pay £200 pm when he lived at home and he wasnt allowed to make ny mess or stay out after 11pm!!!! I generally think my parents werea bit too lovely (if thats possible!!) and his were far too mean.... try to aim for somewhere in between and you should be ok.

ZootHornRollo

she has been applying for jobs in shops so i can;t imagine her take home pay will be that much. - had two interviews already for full time jobs so hopefully she'll get one of those. if she doesn't get full time she has been told she will be getting two part time jobs to make up her hours - might sound a bit harsh but her friends all left school/college last xmas and still are not doing anything and we don't want her going down that road.

we are pretty liberal with her 'curfew' - was 11pm when she had college and its up to her at weekends but if she takes the p*** then she'll get a proper time impossed. she is pretty good at doing dishes etc. and its her job to do the bathroom - after all, as a typical teenager she uses it most! just got to get her to do her own iraoning now... that'll be a challenge.

am now thinking about maybe taking £40-50 off her and saving a chunk for her cause she'll probably spend all her wages anyway. does that sound reasonable?