Mother-in-law and money

Silvertabby

Serve up beans on toast for dinner.  Every night.  If she complains, say it's all you can afford.

RobM99

Silvertabby said:

Serve up beans on toast for dinner.  Every night.  If she complains, say it's all you can afford.

That daft. Serve her a bean on stale bread!

Claddagh_Noir

RobM99 said:

Silvertabby said:

Serve up beans on toast for dinner.  Every night.  If she complains, say it's all you can afford.

That daft. Serve her a bean on stale bread!

I would just serve her half a bean and some yeast.
I for one will never, ever complain about my MIL ever again after reading this.  

maman

chubster said:

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!

Might you consider moving anyway to a smaller house in a cheaper area? Unless you were going to go for a one bedroom place then MIL could still live with you. It may not come to this, could be enough to make MIL appreciate your reduced finances. But if you intend to do that anyway.... 

RobM99

Give her £19 a week and make her pay her own way.

bouicca21

Let’s be generous and say that’s £20 a week,  then be more generous and forget the bills.  Budget £60 for food for the three of you.  See how she likes it.  Plus talk of needing a cheaper place ...

Grumpy_chap

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. 

The £1k per year for everything seems remarkably low.  (Even 10 years ago.)
How would your MIL have coped had she not moved in with you?  It does not sound like she ever had massive income or equity, presumably did not own a property.
What was her living arrangement before that? 
Did she make a capital contribution to your property when you bought the larger property than required so there was room for her to move in?

MalMonroe

JGB1955 said:

'£1,000 pa pays her way'? I don't know which cloud cuckoo land she thinks she's living in, but she's taking the p**s.  She wouldn't get a bed in an 8 bed Youth Hostel room for that.  She has well over £8,000 a year income if she gets full state pension.  I am speechless....

No, she probably has less than £7,000 per year for a full state pension. The latest figures aren't for those of us who retired prior to 2016. And it's not much to live on, I can assure you!! That makes ME speechless.

MalMonroe

I agree that your MIL should pay much more than that. And I'm on a pension myself. But really, £1,000 per annum? No. She may actually be better off if she moves out because she'll be able to claim all kinds of benefits. You'll lose that £1k per annum of course but won't it be worth it?

KxMx

MalMonroe said:

JGB1955 said:

'£1,000 pa pays her way'? I don't know which cloud cuckoo land she thinks she's living in, but she's taking the p**s.  She wouldn't get a bed in an 8 bed Youth Hostel room for that.  She has well over £8,000 a year income if she gets full state pension.  I am speechless....

No, she probably has less than £7,000 per year for a full state pension. The latest figures aren't for those of us who retired prior to 2016. And it's not much to live on, I can assure you!! That makes ME speechless.

OP posted that she also has a small private pension and 80k in capital.