Once your kids are earning should you charge them Housekeeping?

onlyroz

I wouldn't charge my child rent if they were studying, but once they got a job I'd expect them to pay some rent. I'd figure out what the "going rate" was for a room in a shared house, and I'd probably charge then a bit less than that.

Your kids need to learn to be adults eventually - and they need to learn to budget, save, and how to operate a washing machine and cooker. If they don't learn these things then they'll be lost when they leave your cosy home and enter the real world.

CB1979_2

rent as soon as they start working, giving them budgeting skills.

if their usages of utilities & shopping etc. put me under financial strain then i'd use it, otherwise i'd chuck it into a seperate savings account for them (help for a deposit, etc) but only if i could afford it and of course they wouldn't know about it.

i would only charge them the actual costs though, not trying to make profit off them! lol

also as soon as they get to birthday ages where they understand things a bit better, i'll be "taxing" them on their birthday money/odd-job money.

again showing them gross doesn't equal net pay! lol
would again go into a savings account

Oldernotwiser

k1mmie wrote: »

This is certainly an english thing, as many other cultures and countries do not impose a charge for their children to remain at home.

But generally, in the countries you're thinking of ,the parents are supported by (and often live with) their adult children in their old age. I can't see many of the selfish little so and so's that are being raised here offering to do that, can you?

VK-2008

ok when they are working then yes they shoudl i am 21 and staying with parents y dad has an excellent wage but i do my bit to help out - they know i am saving to buy my own house and pay part of my wedding so what we do is compromise i pay some keep money 150 a month and then also i do housework

i think fairs fair?

kirstle99

I'm in a little bit of a different situation, but it is relevant to the OP and I would love some advice.

I rent my mum's house. We pay her enough to cover the mortgage (she makes no profit). Less £100 that my brother, who is in the navy, pay for to have a room.

There is me, my partner, & our 10 month old baby. And my brother when he's home.

He used to pay £200 / month when he was home to cover all the extra costs, until about 6 months ago he kicked off at my mum over it. Now he pays her just £100 a month for this room. And now i'm supposed to ask him for money when he's home to help with the bills & food etc.

Not being funny but i've lived away from home since i was 17 (25 now), i've always paid my own way. I know i've got it good with my mum right now, but I AM paying my own way.
My brother, at 23, I feel should be paying more basic rent & more when he's home. Yes, he's away alot, but when he's home he strips all the cupboards of food, showers like 4 times a day, the list goes on.

What should I do, we have a baby to consider now. The only idea I had so far was this;

If, by January 2009, he hasn't moved out, I will basically tell him he needs to move into the smallest bedroom, at the same rental charge, so our baby can have the middle bedroom. I feel this is fair as my brother is here less than the baby.


Help would be awesome, thanks in advance, sorry for the wall of text

orlao

kirstle99 wrote: »

I'm in a little bit of a different situation, but it is relevant to the OP and I would love some advice.

I rent my mum's house. We pay her enough to cover the mortgage (she makes no profit). Less £100 that my brother, who is in the navy, pay for to have a room.

There is me, my partner, & our 10 month old baby. And my brother when he's home.

He used to pay £200 / month when he was home to cover all the extra costs, until about 6 months ago he kicked off at my mum over it. Now he pays her just £100 a month for this room. And now i'm supposed to ask him for money when he's home to help with the bills & food etc.

Not being funny but i've lived away from home since i was 17 (25 now), i've always paid my own way. I know i've got it good with my mum right now, but I AM paying my own way.
My brother, at 23, I feel should be paying more basic rent & more when he's home. Yes, he's away alot, but when he's home he strips all the cupboards of food, showers like 4 times a day, the list goes on.

When he's home......£300 a month for all bills, food etc is nothing!!!

If you pay your mum rent, surely the house (and all that's in it) is yours? It would be if you were in LA, HA or a private rent......so what makes your brother think he can use your food, water and electric?

Can you get your mum on side?TBH I'm shocked that she agreed that he didn't have to pay the extra £200 because, to me, that was nothing to do with her.....it was YOUR money!!!!

In the short term, I'd tell any brother of mine that he had to buy his own food and make a contribution to gas, electric and water. Show him the bills if you have too, even take meter readings with him and get him to pay 1/3 of electric, gas etc used while he's there......or lose the £100 a month and send him to live with your mum!And no, you're not being unreasonable to ask him to move room in these circs but if he agrees to pay his way I'd be prepared to compromise on the room.

Then you can a get a lodger and give them any bedroom you want

They'll buy their own food too;)

kirstle99

It's such a comfort to know i'm not over-reacting about this, thankyou very much for your feedback I really appreciate it.

kr15snw

Obviously there are different circumstances.

One of my friends is not paying a penny (buys his own shopping) as he is saving for his own place. His parents know this and make sure that he is saving each month. If they were to see he was spending lots on himself and not saving they have promised they will chuck him out / demand rent.

One of my friends is living with her bf and his parents. They pay and buy nothing and have no intent of buying their own place. This started a few months ago and now neither of them are working. Their reason? 'I dont have any outgoings other than fun, which jobseekers covers perfectly!' His parents have no intention of ever charging them, or making them get a job. They have both chucked away their lives in my eyes.

supermum370

My 18 year old son is working, he's saving up to go to university - should we be asking him for housekeeping or would this be mean. He hasn't even offered and we don't know how to approach him, would appreciate any views on this. How much should we expect.

PerfectParadox

since I''ve been out of full time education + living at home + in full time work I have paid £200 a month to my mother. Just like my brothers.
This is food, sky, water, electric, gas, telephone

If one of us was to lose our jobs / go in a part time work for some reason, luxarys are taken away if we are unemployed, if part time employed I had a pay 1/5 of my earnings.
This has gone for me and my three brothers for the past few years. There are still house rules and if we don't like them then we can move out. which some of us did. :j