How much board do you charge your older teens if any?

[PumpkinSpiceGirl]

I’m a single parent, DD18 is studying (at home) and working part time. She gets approx £750 a month including her wages and an allowance from her dad. She has a car to run, a phone contract and a gym membership but no other outgoings.

She’s good at budgeting and keen to pay her way but I’ve no idea what is fair to charge her. I could really do with the extra and think it’s a good life lesson for her but I want to be reasonable. What do other people do?

I certainly would not be charging a student to live at home.

Perhaps when she is working full time but I think it would be disgusting to charge an 18 year old student tbh.

Is she in full time education? I'd be reluctant to charge if she was. I'd be encouraging her to save as much as she could though as that will definitely benefit her more in the long run.

Wow really? I thought I was doing the right thing teaching her to budget. I’m running a family house on one salary because staying in the house and area seemed the best thing for her but it’s not easy. Just another way I’m screwed I guess while her dad gets away with throwing a few quid her way and taking no other responsibility 🙄

Of course you are not being unreasonable especially if she is getting £750 a month that is a lot of disposable income. £50 a week with that income I would say is fair if it includes all meals, cheaper that uni accommodation.

She should definitely be contributing if she is living at home rather than paying her own rent and bills, I think £50 per week would be very fair.

I agree with the others, I wouldn't be charging a full time student board and lodge, especially one that was only 18.

Well I’d like to be in a position not to but I guess I’m going to have to rethink, I feel awful now 🙁

I wouldn’t charge them if I was in the position where I didn’t have to. But if I did I think I’d charge whatever you needed to help you out with the running of the house a bit

You can teach young people about budgeting without taking money away from them - unless you can’t manage without it, that is.

If I could afford it I wouldn't charge an 18yr old in full time education. However if you need the help then thats fair enough. It needs to be based on what your household can afford. so please don't feel guilty OP.

My DD is away at uni but one of her housemates gives her Mum money our of her student loan to help her out even though she's not living at home.

If she's able to afford it (she obviously is), and if you need the money, she's able to pay rent.

If she's able to afford it and you didn't need the money, I'd have suggested that she be encouraged to put it into savings.

I would keep the rent to the minimum you can reasonably afford, but also suggest/encourage that she works to generate savings for whenever she needs them.

I agree £50pw. The vast majority of students pay their own food bills and contribute towards overheads and rent. Those who live at home should do the same. You could try charging £60 or £70pw and then put the extra £10-20 into a savings account for when she leaves college. She should understand that food isn't free and nor are heating, water, home furnishings and maintenance.

Charge her the £50 a month and put it in a savings account for her. It's a good idea for her to learn about budgeting and it'll be a nice surprise and a lesson about savings for when the time is right to pass money back to her.

It’s difficult to say without knowing your financial circumstances.
Why don’t you take the opportunity to go through income and expenses with DD so she can see how much it costs to live, and how much disposable income (if any) you both have left. You could then decide whether she could contribute/save.

Do you work? Have other children so causes more outgoings? It alderpends, but I wouldn’t charge a 18 year old student who is in education because her ‘dad gets away with it’.

Maybe ask the dad to pay half her living costs if you need it, but I wouldn’t ask her.

If you do have to ask her I suppose it depends how much you would need and that in turn would depend if your being unreasonable. How much did you want to charge her?

I would in your circumstances charge £50 a week assuming the child maintenance from her dad now goes straight to her (if you still get cms for her then I wouldn't charge)

If you need the money then obviously she either contributes or you move somewhere cheaper with or without her . If you can manage without and are doing it ‘to teach her to budget’ then don’t as taking money off children isn’t how they learn to budget and by 18 that should already be something she has learned .

We didn't charge our student dd but I did still get her pip into my account and she didn't get a maintenance loan from student loans - I gave her £100 of her pip back and the other £300 covered my petrol bill being her permanent chauffeur (seemed like) and that I still couldn't work full time because of needing to take her to so many appointments

If you really need the money then charge for food. Personally I wouldn’t charge my children for living at home, but expect them to save and not splash the money as I agree they should be taught how to budget. DHs parents charged him from living at home from he was 16 , but put it all in a savings account and gave it back to him as a deposit on his first house. He didn’t know they had saved for him. He wouldn’t probably have spent all his money otherwise.

Of course you can ask your daughter to contribute. Especially as you clearly need it. At 17 when I’d finished A levels I was told I had to pay my way and go out to work. I ended up going to Uni where I paid my own way with loans and part time jobs.

You’re not doing it to be mean and your daughter knows that. Sit down and talk with her.

I was thinking about £200 a month. It sounds like you both agree she should contribute, so that seems fair.

I don’t know what figure is right but I think that yes of course she should I contribute as she’s earning and you need teh money.

She has a huge amount of spare cash compared to most 18 years olds. My daughter is 20 and pays rent, bills, her food, petrol and car repairs on the same amount as your DD.

She can afford a £50/week contribution and you need her to help out financially. It's a good deal for both of you. Also, as you say, a good life lesson, both in budgeting and in being a part of a family.