How much board?

[Sexyfothermucker]

Hi. My DS19 starts a full time job next week. He will be coming out with just short of £1700.
I have no idea how much board to charge. Some are saying £200 pcm. Others are saying a 1/3 of his monthly wage.
Could anyone help please?

Do you need to charge him rent? If not, then don't. But put him in charge of doing one family shop a month, and make sure he's doing household chores and his share of the cooking.

Also, speak to him about opening a savings account, and putting a good chunk (id suggest 1200) into it each month. Talk to him about safety nets, financial cushions, deposits, cars etc, make sure he understands the importance of financial health.

Nothing.

I would sit him down and show him all of the household monthly outgoings - food, utilities, internet, etc. It's really important for every adult in the household to be aware of these bills.

And then ask for £200 a month towards them.

That leaves him with a whopping £1500 a month all to himself. I'd be strongly encouraging him to save some of that each month.

not point asking this question on here, op. you’ll get hundred of posters telling you that you’re cruel for even considering taking money from your adult children and that you shouldn’t have children if you’re not willing to pay for them forever 🙄

I'd perhaps ask for £400. Keep £200 towards food and save £200 a month for him x

Thankyou for the suggestions. I will be charging him board, he needs to know about paying his way.

We've already spoken to him about bills, mortgages etc so he's pretty clued up about that.

I think I'll go with the £200 for now as he's paying for driving lessons at the minute and will need to buy a car, insurance, MOT and tax.

Ridiculous. Just because I wouldn't chose to take board from my child doesn't mean he doesn't understand the reality of financially supporting himself.

Oh dear. I seem to have rocked the boat just by asking a simple question! I consider myself told!!

And for the record, I wasn't saying anything of the such about your child and what they do or do not know. I simply asked opinions on the subject, and explained what I would be doing and the reasons why. Wind your neck in

Mine pay £200 per month and have £20 phone contracts included.

Neither of them object to contributing as they know that I wouldn't be paying out for Sky Sports/Netflix etc without their contribution.

They do their own laundry and keep their own rooms clean. I tend to cook most evenings but sometimes DS1 will do something.

Ours pays for their own food and we pay for everything else on the understanding they save for their future after their 'essential spends'

We charged ours for the EXTRA he was costing us by being here. £200 per month. Which was food plus a bit. He helped with chores.

None - I find the idea of charging DC rent unless you need the money odd.

All these people saying they wouldn't dream of charging their kids board as it's odd!
Really?
Teach them to budget as soon as!
My daughter has had a job since she was 16..... all the way thru college and now Uni. She earns over £1200 a month and pays £100 a month.... I have just increased it to £140 a month. She gets her own room, food, electric, heating, water, council tax, internet and Netflix for that!
It's not weird or odd to pay your way.

OP.... £200 sounds reasonable! 😊

Would never charge. Youngest daughter's boyfriend moved in with us in March as they had to leave uni early and his mum had covid and was quite ill. Didn't charge him either.
They are putting money away to get their own place in a few months and my dd had saved to buy a car.
I don't need my kids to pay my bills.
Times a very hard for young people and I would prefer them to save their money for deposits etc.

All these people saying they wouldn't dream of charging their kids board as it's odd!

Odd? Why?
Really?

Yes, really.

Teach them to budget as soon as!

I have been teaching my D.C. to budget since they were about 5

My eldest works full time and pays nothing. She bought and runs her own car, pays for an expensive phone contract and saves £1k a month. So long as she is saving I am happy to support and help her gain her future.

Eldest is 19

My son wouldn't be paying my bills. He would be contributing to the household income. He's an adult, earning a good full time wage, but still using gas, electric, water, watching sky, Netflix etc and having meals cooked, washing done etc.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Most of them have been really helpful.

Sorry I misread the part about odd!! Ignore my first comment

@TomorrowsPrincess

Teach them to budget as soon as!

My DC have been taught to budget since they could first add up. Birthday money, then pocket money and allowances, and now what they earn.

They don’t need to “pay their way” with me.

My son is 17 and goes to college and works part time, earning about £700. He doesn't contribute to the bills but he now pays for his haircuts, going out, petrol for motorbike, clothes, gym membership and so on. He's saving me money so no plans to charge on top. I am encouraging him to save up for a car, no luck so far!
I think in your case £200 sounds fair, though of course nowhere near what he'd have to pay living in rented.

@PegasusReturns
Budgeting pocket money and birthday money is slightly different to budgeting a full months pay for life essentials and grown up bills!
🤦🏼‍♀️

[quote TomorrowsPrincess]@PegasusReturns
Budgeting pocket money and birthday money is slightly different to budgeting a full months pay for life essentials and grown up bills!
🤦🏼‍♀️[/quote]

No, it forms the basis of exactly that.

This is the thing with MN.....
The majority of you all earn enough to probably pay your own bills and them of your grown up kids..... some of us don't!
It's not bad or wrong asking for a grown up earning a full time wage to contribute to the bills for the roof over their heads.
Asking your grown child to help pay their way is ok! Asking your grown child to cover a small percentage of the household bills is ok!
I know my daughter will have a good idea of how to budget her wage when she does eventually move out

[quote PegasusReturns]@TomorrowsPrincess

Teach them to budget as soon as!

My DC have been taught to budget since they could first add up. Birthday money, then pocket money and allowances, and now what they earn.

They don’t need to “pay their way” with me.[/quote]
This exactly . You don’t learn to budget by paying a nominal sum to live with your parents , it should have been taught years before at the same time as teaching them how to save .