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Higher education

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Original poster

How much allowance to give when 18 year olds living at home?

127 replies

Bougis123 · 23/08/2024 09:56

My 18 year old DD is about to start at a local college and will be living at home (London). We want her to manage her own finances but realise she won't have time to work during term time. We'll pay for travel, phone, family holidays, college supplies and any food at home. How much weekly allowance should we give her for everything else? Any thoughts?

OP posts:
Mrsttcno1 · 23/08/2024 09:59

Why won’t she have time to work during term time? By 18 both my sister & I were working, sixth form through the day, working in a pub on a night time/weekend. Not only is it good financially but it also boosts CV for when college is done and it’s time to apply for jobs.

Peonies12 · 23/08/2024 10:00

Nothing? She should be working at the weekend and in the holidays. I worked since I was 15, throughout school, sixth form and university.

Ooooook · 23/08/2024 10:01

None? At 18 she should be working alongside study

LadyKenya · 23/08/2024 10:04

Is there a reason why she cannot work in a part time job?

Singleandproud · 23/08/2024 10:04

I didn't receive any and worked.

My DD is autistic though and I expect college / uni to be enough for her and that she won't manage to work during term time so with everything else you are already covering would anticipate another £20 a week on top for other bits.

If your DC is otherwise able to work though I'd be encouraging a job for the work experience if nothing else.

Notmybill · 23/08/2024 10:07

Uni students work with far more challenging study loads. She should be working

shirtyumbrellatree · 23/08/2024 10:07

I have an 18 year old at home.
I will continue to pay all of his costs ( food, clothes, phone, car insurance, petrol, Xbox account plus anything for his studies) as I always have done. I will continue to give him the same £100 a month I currently do.
He will have a maintenance loan - so he will have to budget that for fun stuff rather than asking us for the money for a night out as he does now.
In reality I know I will still end up giving him extra - I don’t think they can get the same experience of learning how to budget when living at home as they do when they move out for university.
I tried but in reality I was like the girl in ‘Common People’ I wanted to be like everyone else but I was only pretending and only really learned to budget when my dad stopped bank rolling me when I was about 30.
EDIT TO ADD
I genuinely don’t think people in full time education including university should have to work if their parents can comfortably support them - there are some kids that desperately need those jobs to survive. I wasn’t one of them, my son isn’t one of them. Working in Tesco wouldn’t have taught me anything because at the end of the day I knew my dad would still get me a new car when mine was 12 months old (had to have the new reg) let alone any real needs.

Borninabarn32 · 23/08/2024 10:07

I don't think an 18 year old should be getting pocket money. You're already paying for all her essential outgoings which is generous enough. Probably too generous if you want her to grow up at any point.

justaweedrop · 23/08/2024 10:14

None, she will have plenty of time to work.

LiterallyOnFire · 23/08/2024 10:14

HE college or more FE?

cleaning925 · 23/08/2024 10:15

Nothing. Want money, go to work. I worked 4 evenings a week from 16 when I was doing A Levels.

Vettrianofan · 23/08/2024 10:16

DS is 17yo and got a part time job. With organisation, they can study and work. It can be done!

Ellerby83 · 23/08/2024 10:16

If she is getting a student loan why would you need to give her more money. If anything she should be paying you board.

Batterypack · 23/08/2024 10:17

Of course she'll have time to work. I had time for a part time job when I had a full time one around that age.

Batterypack · 23/08/2024 10:17

Another full time job I mean!

MrTwatchester · 23/08/2024 10:17

shirtyumbrellatree · 23/08/2024 10:07

I have an 18 year old at home.
I will continue to pay all of his costs ( food, clothes, phone, car insurance, petrol, Xbox account plus anything for his studies) as I always have done. I will continue to give him the same £100 a month I currently do.
He will have a maintenance loan - so he will have to budget that for fun stuff rather than asking us for the money for a night out as he does now.
In reality I know I will still end up giving him extra - I don’t think they can get the same experience of learning how to budget when living at home as they do when they move out for university.
I tried but in reality I was like the girl in ‘Common People’ I wanted to be like everyone else but I was only pretending and only really learned to budget when my dad stopped bank rolling me when I was about 30.
EDIT TO ADD
I genuinely don’t think people in full time education including university should have to work if their parents can comfortably support them - there are some kids that desperately need those jobs to survive. I wasn’t one of them, my son isn’t one of them. Working in Tesco wouldn’t have taught me anything because at the end of the day I knew my dad would still get me a new car when mine was 12 months old (had to have the new reg) let alone any real needs.

Edited

So the lesson you've learned from your dad bankrolling you to 30(??) and it preventing you from working out how to budget, is to do the exact same thing with your son?

SonicTheHodgeheg · 23/08/2024 10:18

Does she go to college 7 days a week?
I expected mine to give up at least one weekend day and they were fine with that. My kids also worked more hours during half terms and school holidays. The more permanent staff got to go on holiday or take annual leave then it worked well for everyone

Fullofpudding · 23/08/2024 10:18

She should get a job. She's an adult now. If she wants to study then she needs to finance herself to a certain extent. There's no reason she can't work in the evening or at weekends.

Original poster
Bougis123 · 23/08/2024 10:18

She won't be getting a student loan (as it's an art foundation course) and we don't want her to work term time (holidays is a different matter) as we want her to focus on studies.

OP posts:
shirtyumbrellatree · 23/08/2024 10:19

MrTwatchester · 23/08/2024 10:17

So the lesson you've learned from your dad bankrolling you to 30(??) and it preventing you from working out how to budget, is to do the exact same thing with your son?

Show quote history

The lesson I’ve learned is to support my children because I can.

SonicTheHodgeheg · 23/08/2024 10:19

My 18yo is going to college and he’s getting expenses paid (travel, phone ..) but will be working to fund fun stuff like clothes and car insurance

LiterallyOnFire · 23/08/2024 10:19

It's normally only very intense courses like medical school or places like Oxbridge (because of their insanely short terms) who stipulate work in term time is too much.

Seas164 · 23/08/2024 10:20

This is what Saturday Jobs are for.

Seas164 · 23/08/2024 10:20

And I've got news, from experience, she absolutely will have time to work while doing an art foundation course. Plenty of time.

If you want to save her the bother of working then you just give her whatever you want/can afford. The reasonable thing to do would be to earn it.

Angelsrose · 23/08/2024 10:21

Bougis123 · 23/08/2024 09:56

My 18 year old DD is about to start at a local college and will be living at home (London). We want her to manage her own finances but realise she won't have time to work during term time. We'll pay for travel, phone, family holidays, college supplies and any food at home. How much weekly allowance should we give her for everything else? Any thoughts?

Maybe £200 a month?

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