How much board for an 18 year old?

applepad

My son will turn 18 soon and start an apprenticeship which is more than min wage.
He is already paying me back for car insurance and his car, he has a part time job at the moment.

When he starts his job he will have to buy a train ticket £85 a month as his job is in a city and there is no car parking inc.

How much would you expect him to pay?

Years ago I earned £56 a week and paid £10 board, I lived with my mum, and we are a couple, although only my husband works. So is 20% an ok amount?

System

Our Son is doing an apprenticeship. He too is earning more than minimum wage and is earning a decent amount in bonuses.

He is giving his Dad £25 a week but is paying for and running his own car. His car payments and fuel amount to about £50 a week though his insurance being only 21 is £1500 a year.

He's managing comfortably on that.

Sarahdol75

My son is 17, just got his own car and working full time.

He is paying us £25.00 a week.

onomatopoeia99

When I was 17 (1987) I paid £25 / week out of my £82/week full time summer job as keep, also paid for my own driving lessons. When I was 18 and taking a "year off" to work full time before university, my wage was a few pounds/week higher ("18 year old trainee" rate rather than "17 year old trainee" rate! Though I wasn't being trained), but I continued to pay £25/week, so a bit over 25%.

Amazing that keep for working children living at home hasn't gone up at all in 30 years! :eek:


Since cars are being mentioned, I bought my own as an 18 year old (£500 rust-bucket of a Morris Marina) which I maintained myself (had to borrow some tools from my dad until I got my own), plus taxed and insured myself. I'm a computer programmer by trade, not a mechanic, and have no training in car maintenance. Fortunately, Haynes manuals are written in English

System

Would you be looking for him to save up enough money to buy his own property in the future?

svain

Are you looking to "make" money or just want a token gesture.??

Many folk seem to like to use their children as cash cows as soon as the Child Benefit stops .....

Personally regardless of income i think £25 token gesture is fair. Nothing wrong with them having spare cash in the pocket for a few years before their lives become a lot more complicated..

What you decide on how they contribute in other areas (ie cooking, cleaning etc) is up to you.

Malthusian

avogadro wrote: »

Would you be looking for him to save up enough money to buy his own property in the future?

If he is then the OP may prefer to put his son's board money to one side and hand it back to him when he wants to buy a house, rather than letting him live for free (which doesn't always have the desired outcome). The only potential drawback is if Inheritance Tax is a concern.

System

Malthusian wrote: »

If he is then the OP may prefer to put his son's board money to one side and hand it back to him when he wants to buy a house, rather than letting him live for free (which doesn't always have the desired outcome). The only potential drawback is if Inheritance Tax is a concern.

I think £25 is a token amount. I think £35-£40 a week is a fair amount.

When my Daughter moved out she had been saving with her boyfriend towards a mortgage. It was then we stopped having board off her and no doubt we will do the same when our Son is saving towards his own place.

Kids, i wouldnt dream of charging them board when they are in full time education but i think its only right that they help put money into the family 'purse' when they are working but think its good if your able to support them financially whilst they are saving towards their own home.

TheGardener

Child B is over 21 and still at home - works fulltime, earns about £20K pa gross. Pays £75 per week while saving for own place. No profit here - between the fridge raids, laundry service and other overheads.

svain

TheGardener wrote: »

Child B is over 21 and still at home - works fulltime, earns about £20K pa gross. Pays £75 per week while saving for own place. No profit here - between the fridge raids, laundry service and other overheads.

£75 per week?? ... ouch!! .... No profit, you reckon. She must eat a heck of a lot in them fridge raids during the few hours an evening she's at home after work

goodwithsaving

Token gesture and put it into account for when they leave.