Mother-in-law and money

RobM99

Round here, renting a room would be £100 a week. So that's in context.

Flugelhorn

make sure she doesn't decide to leave the 80K to the cats' home

JGB1955

Remind her that a care home would cost upwards of £50,000 per annum.

so you'll do her a deal at £5,000.

maman

It does seem a low figure but I'm thinking that unless you moved to a one bedroom place you'd be unlikely to save a lot. Does your MIL really increase your utility bills where you live now over what you'd use as a couple? Perhaps a discussion about prices going up because of covid and Brexit might encourage her to make a bigger contribution. I don't think using renting a room is a good comparison.
It'd be interesting to hear how and when this situation and figure came about. 

macman

If she has a income of £8k plus p.a. and only pays you £1K, then I suppose that you could take the long view that, unless she is spending it all, then your wife's inheritance is accumulating by an additional £7Kpa....
But £1K wouldn't have covered the costs ten or twenty years ago. Even if you are content for her to live rent-free, then your council tax and utility bills split 3 ways would cost more than that.
Does she contribute to food bills etc?

chubster

Grumpy_chap said:

chubster said:

MIL gives use £1,000 a year as her 'board and lodgings'

Exactly what does this cover / include?  When was the £1k / year set?

This includes everything i.e. food, bills the lot. It was over 10 years ago when she moved in and it was her suggestion, at the time we had two reasonable wages coming in so it didn't seem unreasonable. 

chubster

maman said:

It does seem a low figure but I'm thinking that unless you moved to a one bedroom place you'd be unlikely to save a lot. Does your MIL really increase your utility bills where you live now over what you'd use as a couple? Perhaps a discussion about prices going up because of covid and Brexit might encourage her to make a bigger contribution. I don't think using renting a room is a good comparison.
It'd be interesting to hear how and when this situation and figure came about. 

That is a fair point about bills yes but if it was just the two of us we would move to a smaller house and in a much cheaper area. I have tried a discussion about prices etc. but MIL in oblivious to how much things cost as she doesn't do any food shopping. I guess that when she moved in I always assumed that she would make a bigger financial contribution over time, more fool me really for assuming this!

chubster

JGB1955 said:

Remind her that a care home would cost upwards of £50,000 per annum.

so you'll do her a deal at £5,000.

LOL yes I would love to do that!

74jax

chubster said:

Grumpy_chap said:

chubster said:

MIL gives use £1,000 a year as her 'board and lodgings'

Exactly what does this cover / include?  When was the £1k / year set?

This includes everything i.e. food, bills the lot. It was over 10 years ago when she moved in and it was her suggestion, at the time we had two reasonable wages coming in so it didn't seem unreasonable. 

It includes food!  I'm astounded. 

Well done you for lasting so long in this situation. 

Mojisola

chubster said:

I have tried a discussion about prices etc. but MIL in oblivious to how much things cost as she doesn't do any food shopping.

Perhaps showing her £20 worth of your normal shopping would bring home that she's not paying a fair contribution towards the household costs.

If she's still not willing to contribute more, start having discussions about what you'll have to do to reduce the regular bills and how that might affect you all.