17 year old ds has got a job - how much board to charge him

[soaccidentprone]

he's going to be working 24 hours a week, and I believe taking home £550 a month.

he is planning on going to college in September and wants to do a degree.

obviously I will now lose child benefit.

so.....

how much should I ask him to contribute?

he eats loads, and uses loads of electricity is showers, Xbox, listening to music, watching DVD's, playing on PC, laptop etc.

was thinking of putting some of it aside when he is older.

help!

you mean he'll go on working 24 hours when he starts college in September? & will college be 2 years & then he'll go on to do the degree?

does he know you will expect him to make a contribution now? (regardless of what you will ultimately do with the money )

Depends - if you don't need the money then I would be tempted to only charge a nominal amount if anything - but make it clear that he needs to save some for university. But if you do need it then £100 to cover lost CB + a little bit. £550 isn't much. But maybe I'm soft.

not sure about about work and college. he's going to be a carer, so it depends on how it pans out. he hasn't got round to applying yet. he was at college, but didn't like the course and didn't get on with head of dept and after being late a few times was asked to leave the course. it was then too late to pick up anything else.

college will be 2 years, and then uni (hopefully)

was thinking £200 a month. £100 board and £100 for savings?

yes, I have told him I expect him to make a contribution, and yes, I can't afford to lose £100 a month.

My DM proposed the following 1/3 board; 1/3 saved; 1/3 to spend - although she also saved my board contributions to give back to me when I went to uni.

Hmm - if he isn't at college then £200 fair I think. I would be tempted to offer to reduce it if he sticks at a college course? If he is only working pt I would want some housework too (whether I would get it would be another matter).

I was going to suggest £200! That still leaves him the best part of £100 a week just for himself, & if you can save £100 for him it will make a massive difference to him later.

Is he going to learn to drive?

And if you're not going to tell him you will be saving some for him, maybe also suggest he saves at least £50 a month himself? That would still leave him £300 a month.

That's 40% of his wages I think it's too much for a teenager at college.

I think £200 is quite a lot, TBH, (unless you are actually going to be returning some to him). My DD pays that, but she brings in £800 a month. We've generally worked on about 25% of what they've had as take home pay. I think I'd be asking for about £30 a week, which would cover your loss of child benefit. Yes, he eats a lot . But if he were still at school CB is £20.30 a week, assuming he's the eldest and you'd have to keep him then.

You take a quarter of his money - first month free.

If you dont actually need this for bills put it away as you will be giving it back to him in other ways.

we charge ds the amount lost in CB and tax credits but he's not earning anything like your ds.

I would suggest an amount which comprises what you have lost in CB and TC and which also includes a proportion of the utilities ie if there are 5 in the family then 20% of your monthly gas/electric/water/council tax charge. 4 in the family, he pays 25% etc. Then he can see its a fair sum and you haven't plucked a figure out of the air.

£200 from £550 is a lot IMO

I'd charge £100 if it were me

wow - so many different opinions

I was going to ask for £25 a week, or £100 a month, and then another £100 which would go into a savings account for when he is older.

he isn't currently at college or any other course, training, voluntary work etc.

and I pay his mobile phone bill which is usually £35 a month

so maybe I should charge £35 for his phone & £40 for gas and electric, and something for food - £60? = £135 a month. he can easily go through a litre of milk a day, plus eggs, cereal, bread, pizza, fruit, pasta, cheese, vegetables etc. he's got a mega metabolism

he's going to be working 4 hours a day, 6 days a week, so I assume he'll still be eating most of his meals at home.

should I expect him to save some of the money himself, rather than me doing it for him?

I know he'll fritter the first few months wages away. I know I would in his position.

he's talking about driving lessons etc, but that's something for a couple of months time as they are expensive.

I'm not trying to make money from him, just to make a contribution, and tbh the past few months since he was asked to leave college have been difficult, as he has lacked motivation, and some days was just getting ready to go out at 4pm as I was getting back from work, having left the kitchen in a total tip

I glad he has found something productive to do

Part of my decision would be based upon how you think he would spend the £350 he's got left. If it would be on games/drinking/gambling, I would try and leave him with less. If he is paying for driving lessons, probably try and leave him with a little more, as that (imo) is an important life skill.

Maybe sit down and work out a budget with him - I did this with DS before he went to uni, and although it changed beyond recognition, it did help him to think about how he would survive with what income he had.

That sounds reasonable
Definitely agree sit down and do a budget with him - wish someone had shown me how to budget when I was a teen.

well I'm still crap at budgeting now, though I know how to do it in theory, but then I have never worked and lived with my mum and dad.

thanks for all the OK input, ideas etc

I think its fair to ask him for a big chunk of his wages. You have to prepare him for the real world so depending where you live, if he was paying rent, council tax, electricity, food etc for real it would be more than 100 quid a month. He could get himself in a real mess when he moves out and is used to spending so much on himself. Its a good lesson and he will have savings at the end thanks to you.