How much board to charge?

Whiterose23

Hi, just looking for some views on here, which I appreciate may differ depending on people's financial status. My son has just started an apprenticeship (18 months) and is being paid £12,500 a year, which equates to roughly £980 a month take home. I have asked him for £150 a month board, although I feel strangely uneasy about it. All he needs to pay out from what is left is his train fare (approx £80 a month), and then he plans to save half of what's left towards his first car (after he has passed his test). He has been told the plan is to keep him on after his 18 month apprenticeship, after which he would on an increased pay of around £18k.
I am a single parent so I do feel the loss of his child benefit and also am now paying more expensive council tax, as I have now been placed back on 100% payment. Does this sound fair? He doesn't have to do anything else other than keep his room clean, help out occasionally with house stuff if I need him. Plus I occasionally drop him off at work/pick up if it's convenient. Viewpoints would be much appreciated.

El_Torro

If he were to move out and pay rent then I imagine he’d be paying a lot more than £150 a month. It also sounds like he can afford what you plan to charge him so looks like a win / win situation.

JGB1955

Sounds fair to me.  My son did an apprenticeship starting at £75 per week.  We 'charged' him £10 per week.   Once his pay went up to £100, his contribution went up to £20. He still managed to save enough to pay for an extended overseas trip once he was taken on by his employer and went off to New Zealand for 3 months....  Until he passed his driving test we were doing a bit of taxi-service too (ironic as, 3 years later, my husband became a self-employed Private Hire Driver...but that's another story).

ace33

My parents used to "charge" me 25% of my basic salary.

They put some of this money aside and gave me about 5k when I moved out and bought most of the white good for my first house. 

maman

I understand how you feel. I'm definitely one who'd not 'charge' my child anything to live at home BUT, you aren't in the financial situation to do that although it sounds as if you're uneasy because you'd prefer not to.

In your situation I'd want to try and cover what I'd lost in the increased council tax and lack of Child Benefit or at least a contribution  towards that. I'm assuming you're in lower paid work yourself so can't absorb the extra costs. 

You've obviously done a good job of teaching him the value of money if he intends to save towards the cost of a car. 😊

Whiterose23

ace33 said:

My parents used to "charge" me 25% of my basic salary.

They put some of this money aside and gave me about 5k when I moved out and bought most of the white good for my first house. 

I would like to help both of them out in future so my intention is to contribute to the main events in their lives. I may not be in a position to give them part of a house deposit but I will hopefully help out with the cost of a car/white goods etc. 

RobM99

Rather that ask for more £££, how about a few more tasks around the home e.g.  cut grass, vac' the car?

Whiterose23

maman said:

I understand how you feel. I'm definitely one who'd not 'charge' my child anything to live at home BUT, you aren't in the financial situation to do that although it sounds as if you're uneasy because you'd prefer not to.

In your situation I'd want to try and cover what I'd lost in the increased council tax and lack of Child Benefit or at least a contribution  towards that. I'm assuming you're in lower paid work yourself so can't absorb the extra costs. 

My pay is fairly good but my outgoings are fairly substantial for one wage as I still have quite a large mortgage. I have lost around £85 with lower CB and increased Council Tax but also the maintenance payments from his father so I will still be worse off overall. However I hope this will balance out as my son doesn’t always want dinner at home and of course will buy his own clothes etc. It just doesn’t feel right asking my child for money. However I gladly contributed to my parents when I started work (about 20% of what I took home) so I guess I just need to stop feeling bad about it.

maman

Any chance his father might give money directly to his son? I know this sometimes happens when children go to university and need financial help. Perhaps he'd help him insure his car when he gets it?

I know my views are influenced by my own background. I was never expected to pay to live at home and I've always done the same with my own. I brought them up to know the value of money and was happy to see them saving for homes of their own. 

Whiterose23

RobM99 said:

Rather that ask for more £££, how about a few more tasks around the home e.g.  cut grass, vac' the car?

I could do but I still need to pay the bills ... plus he wouldn’t keep it up. He’s pretty good generally but I do need to nag to get him to do the chores.

Whiterose23

maman said:

Any chance his father might give money directly to his son? I know this sometimes happens when children go to university and need financial help. Perhaps he'd help him insure his car when he gets it?

I know my views are influenced by my own background. I was never expected to pay to live at home and I've always done the same with my own. I brought them up to know the value of money and was happy to see them saving for homes of their own. 

His Dad pays for his phone as I couldn’t afford to, and is a firm believer that they should pay their own way once they start work. He doesn’t want either of them to go to university as he thinks it’s a waste of money, but probably more to do with him not wanting to support them any more.