Opinions about working kids paying Housekeeping needed!

newlywed

Mum always made it clear she would expect "housekeeping" money from us. We paid approx 1/4 of months wages which included a contribution to our $ of council tax - so we got a couple of months where we got a bit of bonus money back!

But mum also made it clear that it only really covered food. So anything "special" or "extra" we wanted in the way of food she would see if there was enough money in the budget for it and if not, we had to give her a bit extra to cover it.

All toiletries etc we had to get ourselves, out of our own money - mainly because we were all so fussy that she didn't want to worry about whether it was the right thing or not

Out of all the friends that left home - those who never paid/paid stupidly low amounts or who got everything handed to them on a plate, were the ones who struggled the most and never seemed to have money.

That said - even with the budgeting help of my parents - I still fell into the credit card trap

barnaby-bear

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

We-ell... after reading both the threads I started on this topic (I'm SO greedy!) my son IS going to pay some "keep" but we're still negotiating the amount. :rolleyes:

His opening offer was £12.50 a week - which he thinks is quite generous given that none of his mates -

!!!!!! if he's not old enough to grasp the value of money then deadlock the doors and lock the tight little so-and-so in at 7:30pm, if he's too ickle to pay his way he certainly isn't old enough to go out and should be tucked up in bed with his teddy bear by 7:30pm... YOUR house YOUR rules not like he's paying proper rent so allowed the freedoms a grown-up lodger would be... I'd also call him mommy's little soldier in front of his friends.... and change the SKY packages to CBeebies....

Jacks_xxx

postingalwaysposting wrote: »

no not really, mum said £30 per week no budging/haggaling that was it however i later found out my brother was paying less for a bigger room so i got the bigger room :rotfl:and he had to pay the same as me. Its quite good really because on a 5 week month i get a week free however i dont 'pay' mine normally as i pay for bt phone/internet which is £65 per month however my internet connection is only £25 :rolleyes: and then i give mum £100 but it goes on debt repayments tll january then i will keep it and put it into savings for her

Aww honey that's lovely :T

We're going to do it monthly as well. I'll have to point out to my son that he'll get what? Four free weeks a year?

That'll cover if he goes away on holiday then.

I'm hoping that he'll just set up a standing order and then the money can go out as soon as it comes in on debt repayment - but we need to agree a figure first. :rolleyes:

Cheers PaP!

Love Jacks xxx

shell_girl

Great thread Jacks!

Personally I left home the same time I left school so I never was classed as an 'adult' at home in the sense of paying bills etc. I started Saturday jobs at 13 and this was always mine- as I chose to go out and earn it in addition to schoolwork etc. Had I stayed at home once I'd started working full time I would have expected to pay realistically a third of what I was earning.

I bought my house at 19 and have taught myself how to budget- still have occasional slip ups but on the whole I'm getting there. My sister stayed living at home until she was 19, and had been working full time for 2 years by that point. She never had to pay my parents anything. She's just moved back home for the fourth time- she moves out, can't cope and gets behind with all her bills, and has to move home. My parents then don't charge her any rent while she gets 'back on her feet'. 6 months later her wardrobe is bulging with new clothes and shoes, the bathroom is cluttered with designer lotions and potions and she's flathunting. 6 months later she's knocking at the door again... wanting to come home.

I can't help thinking that if my parents had started charging her her share of bills etc that she would have a much healthier and mature attitude to money and bills now.

I think any adult who is working should be paying a fair amount towards the running costs of the home.

My dad told me once that when he left school his parents gave him a choice- a third of his wage or all of his dole money. He got a job pretty sharpish!!

LouBlue

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

His grandmother is "shocked saddened and horrified" that I would even dream of taking money from my own children as she never did no matter what.:eek:
Maybe my son could go and live with his granny??? :eek: I might suggest that to her if she keeps carping.

Love Jacks xxx

Yes, I think his granny would seem keep quiet about it if you suggested that. :rotfl:

You stick to your guns, Mrs.

Jacks_xxx

barnaby-bear wrote: »

!!!!!! if he's not old enough to grasp the value of money then deadlock the doors and lock the tight little so-and-so in at 7:30pm, if he's too ickle to pay his way he certainly isn't old enough to go out and should be tucked up in bed with his teddy bear by 7:30pm... YOUR house YOUR rules not like he's paying proper rent so allowed the freedoms a grown-up lodger would be... I'd also call him mommy's little soldier in front of his friends.... and change the SKY packages to CBeebies....

*snorts* "Mummy's little soldier" :rotfl: :eek:

Love it!
Thank you hon, That's brilliant. :T

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

shell_girl wrote: »

Great thread Jacks!

Personally I left home the same time I left school so I never was classed as an 'adult' at home in the sense of paying bills etc. I started Saturday jobs at 13 and this was always mine- as I chose to go out and earn it in addition to schoolwork etc. Had I stayed at home once I'd started working full time I would have expected to pay realistically a third of what I was earning.

I bought my house at 19 and have taught myself how to budget- still have occasional slip ups but on the whole I'm getting there. My sister stayed living at home until she was 19, and had been working full time for 2 years by that point. She never had to pay my parents anything. She's just moved back home for the fourth time- she moves out, can't cope and gets behind with all her bills, and has to move home. My parents then don't charge her any rent while she gets 'back on her feet'. 6 months later her wardrobe is bulging with new clothes and shoes, the bathroom is cluttered with designer lotions and potions and she's flathunting. 6 months later she's knocking at the door again... wanting to come home.

I can't help thinking that if my parents had started charging her her share of bills etc that she would have a much healthier and mature attitude to money and bills now.

I think any adult who is working should be paying a fair amount towards the running costs of the home.

My dad told me once that when he left school his parents gave him a choice- a third of his wage or all of his dole money. He got a job pretty sharpish!!

:wave: I agree with you honey. I think it's part of a parents job to help their kids learn about money management.

I've even downloaded Martin's new Teen Cash Class guide so that my 12 year old can learn about money early.

http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/attachment/teen_cash_guide.pdf

So hopefully I won't have to go through all this again.with her in a few years. :rolleyes:

Like you I left home early, so I was never in the position of having to pay my parents keep either. I'm pretty sure I would have been sulky about it at first though.

My 93 year old grandmother botton holed my son at a family party on sunday and told him that when "her boys" started earning they handed over their wage packets to her on Pay day and she gave them a small amount of "pocket money" back.
His face looked like this: :eek:

Here's hoping he gets used to my much more reasonable request soon. :rolleyes:

Bless him.

Love Jacks xxx

EmRayMarRhys

I actually left home whilst still at school (long story) but when I moved back in with mum as a result of the breakdown of my first marriage I was more than happy to contribute a quarter of my income plus buy meals and do my own laundry!

Was still a walk in the park compared to what went before!

shell_girl

Something else has just occurred to me too...

During negotiations about how much your DS should pay, it might be an idea to divide certain bills. This way you could negotiate along the lines of "Ok- we'll only charge you xx amount per week towards the mortgage and the food if you take on some bills". For example- you and your OH could retain responsibility for the important ones like Council Tax and Utilities, and perhaps DS could be in charge of the ones he sees as essential like Sky and High Speed Broadband? This way as well as a contribution for food etc he's also taking responsibility for the regular paying of a bill... and as it's something that he would miss if he were to lose it, he's much more likely to stay on top of it!

Shineyhappy

I paid my mum 150 pounds a month, I left home 2 years ago. My brother pays fifty pounds and has the biggest room and insisits on Sky so it really isnt fair!

Looking back I wish my mum had said the going rate for food and board is 450 and put 300 into a savings account(without me knowing) and then given that money to me once I started buying my flat.

I used to do all the cooking/washing up and hoovering and other odd jobs too, my brother just mows the lawn!