advice on what is a reasonable amount to charge for keep now son has finished uni

Pollycat

AndyBSG wrote: »

Pretty much this.

As a parent your role isn't just to provide and care for your children but also to educate them.

Letting them pay peanuts for one of life's biggest costs, accommodation, doesn't teach them anything.

My plan for when my daughter leaves education is simple. I will charge her roughly 30% of her take home or the market rate, whichever is the lower of the two.

That way she starts learning what the real world is like.

Of course, what she won't know is that i'll be putting the money into a savings account which will then get handed back to her when the time comes for her to buy her own home

Just out of interest, Andy, if your daughter isn't lucky enough to get a job straight away would you take 'every penny' of any benefits she may be entitled to until she does get a job?

AndyBSG

Pollycat wrote: »

Just out of interest, Andy, if your daughter isn't lucky enough to get a job straight away would you take 'every penny' of any benefits she may be entitled to until she does get a job?

Not entirely sure TBH.

I was on JSA/housing benefit for almost a year back during the recession so I know what a struggle it is to cover even basic living costs.

I guess it all depends on how my daughter goes about things. If she's actively looking for work then i'm not going to 'punish' her by taking what little she is getting.

However, if she's just freeloading and spending her benefits to sit on her butt then yes I would start charging her housekeeping despite that.

I'd like to think i've not bought her up to be like that though so haven't really given it too much thought!

duchy

HappyMJ wrote: »

Just wondering...how much should I as an adult pay my mother if I return to live in the family home? She claims a pension and doesn't "need" the extra money. The mortgage is paid off and she owns the property outright.

You could calculate what it would cost you to live in a similar situation and give her that .........or you could take over all the utilities and pay the food bill so her pension is freed up to do as she pleases. Having enough to live on and having money for treats like days out, holidays, theatre tickets , hobbies etc are two different things.

Why would anyone pay a parent less just because they don't need it. You wouldn't buy a sibling a cheaper Christmas present just because they could afford to buy themselves a more expensive one....... would you ?

Most kids were helped out by their parents at one time or another -when I moved into my Mum's we shared the bills in theory-in reality I paid for a lot of extras willingly because I could afford to and she deserved treats.

I think there's a big difference between children in low paid work and those with well paying jobs though. The calculations should be different - but any adult child living at home should do their own washing and cook for the rest of the household sometimes.