I’ve been asked by a couple of people recently: “How much board should I charge my adult children?”
So I thought I would share how we worked out how much board to charge in our household, and the various factors we took into consideration.
Percentage or Set Rate?
Once our children finished high school, and started in the workforce, we asked for 10% of their take home pay each week.
The main reason we chose a percentage rather than a set amount, was because they were both in casual employment – meaning that one week, they might earn a lot, and the next week, only a small amount.
However, I Must Confess: there have been times when we have waived charging our children board, reduced the amount, or helped them pay their rent. We’re not totally heartless! For example, when Miss 19 couldn’t work for three months after her ice-skating accident last year, or now that Mr 21 is studying.
We wanted to encourage our son to pursue tertiary studies, and felt that not charging board was the best way to do it.
It’s not like he is getting a free ride however. Mr 21 is paying his own way through uni, with a job as a kitchen hand at a fast food store. This allows him to pay for living expenses such as his mobile phone, petrol and maintenance on his car (which he owns outright); parking fees; text books (which aren’t cheap!); snacks; clothes; entertainment; oh, and his soft drink habit (as we refused to pay for it anymore).
He has to work hard even without worrying about board, in order to afford things he likes as well as pay expenses – going to uni 4 days and doing all the study required at home, and working. If he is lucky he gets one “official” day off a week – but let’s face it, he usually studies then as well.
Deciding How Much Board to Charge
When deciding how much board to charge, you might like to take the following things into consideration:
- their employment status, and size of your adult child’s pay packet;
- your own financial situation – in some households, a bit of board can make all the difference;
- how much they assist with household chores (the lazier they are, the more you can charge – and it doesn’t hurt to let them know this!);
- how much of a drain they place on household resources (long hot showers? leaving the air conditioning on all the time?);
- how much would it cost them to live in a share house with the same benefits they receive at home;
- how often do they have friends over (meaning extra mouths to feed!);
- and if they are long overdue to leave the nest, you can always encourage them by charging more and making sure they don’t have it too good at home!
If you have adult kids, how did you work out how much board to charge? And if it is still in the future for you, what are your thoughts?!
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Vanessa says
I had to pay board and all of my own expenses from the moment I got a full time job, which was when I was 17 and about 1 month old. I don’t remember the amount though – I think my full time salary was $13k or something amazing (ha!) so based on that alone it wouldn’t have been much. I saw some friends who I wish had paid board – they got to be in their mid-20s with still NO IDEA how much grocery shopping cost or that it does cost money to run the dryer/aircon/heating.
Janet Camilleri says
Hi Vanessa, I was paying board from 16 when child allowance stopped and I started getting the government payment rather than my mother (she was on a pension). It seemed unfair at the time as I was a fulltime student til I was 20, but at the same time I realised our family relied on that extra money 🙁
Tory Warren says
I had a part time job in high school but my parents never really charged me board – they just didn’t give me money for things anymore as I had my own. I like the idea of a percentage based system though – I think that’s very smart.
Janet Camilleri says
You were one of the lucky ones! I was paying board from 15 – as my mum was on a pension she really needed the extra money from me.
Natalie @ Our Parallel Connection says
I paid board when I grew up so I expect to do the same with my kids. I can’t remember what I paid but I know it made an impact on what I earned.
Janet Camilleri says
I’ve seen some families where the kids make mega bucks which they fritter away. Yet their parents still don’t ask for board! I don’t think they’re doing their kids any favours in the long run …
Kathy Marris says
I applaud you for charging your children board. A lot of parents don’t these days. I think a percentage rate is very fair. When my son lived at home he was working as an apprentice and didn’t earn that much but we still charged him $50 per week. It was like getting blood out of stone! But we did manage to get him to make regular payments.
Janet Camilleri says
Like you Kathy, I think it’s important to teach our kids that the world doesn’t owe them a free ride …
Raychael Case says
I think a percentage is a great way to approach this, especially when income can vary for casuals. Our girls are still in high school and only one has a part time job and we aren’t charging board at this stage. The eldest is in year 12 and paid the $5k for her school Greece trip out of her own money. I was impressed but she also wastes so much money, which makes me think if we were charging board, we could be saving that for her.
Janet Camilleri says
I’m impressed with your daughter saving for her school trip all by herself too! What a great achievement!
Liz Posmyk (Good Things) says
An interesting topic… my children left home a long time ago and are in the 30s, so I have no real idea of today’s prices.
Janet Camilleri says
I think I paid $50 a fortnight back in the day, which was quite a lot. I would put $10 worth of petrol in my car every week (could never afford to fill it!), and I seem to remember that working a Thursday night in a jewellery store paid about $25 or $30 for 4 hours work!
Ashleigh My Meow says
I never paid board as such but Dad delegated us bills to pay. I also had my own kitchenette and bought and cooked my own food. The promise was that we were saving, it was the only way we saved our deposit!
Janet Camilleri says
LOL my hubster jokes that Mr 21’s board pays the electricity bill (he has a bad habit of not turning his air conditioner off in his room even when he goes out), and Miss 19’s (when she was still at home) paid the gas bill for all the hot water she used!
Elyse says
I have a situation where one of my daughters works part time and the other nearly full time but she isnt here everyday sometimes at her boyfriends house, She complains when I asked why board wasnt paid. Says she was maybe here 3 days last week. Is it fair to charge her board even though she isnt always here.
Janet Camilleri says
Put it to her this way Elyse … if she was boarding/renting anywhere else, she’d still have to pay. You can’t go on holidays for a week and tell your landlord, sorry, I wasn’t here for that week so I’m not going to pay!
Lynne Philliskirk says
My son is 26 years old & still living with me as he is unemployed at the moment. He gives me £60 a fortnight. He goes to his girlfriend’s Friday to Monday. Is this a good amount or should I be asking for more
Janet Camilleri says
It all depends Lynne: Do you still want him home, or do you want to encourage him to move out? If he’s doing it tough, and you’re happy to have him there – and you can afford it – a token amount keeps him feeling that he is contributing something (good for self esteem which can take a battering when you are unemployed!). But if he has made some unwise choices, you shouldn’t have to bear the burden and support him – he needs to face the consequences. It also depends on where you live – I’m aware London for example is very expensive! I’m not sure how the amount of 60 pounds equates to our economy, I’m guessing that’s around $60 a week in AUD, which seems okay *IF* you are happy with it. At 26 you shouldn’t have to support him, though as a mum I understand that sometimes we want to help our kids out or give them a break when the going gets tough …
Lynne Philliskirk says
Hi Janet,
I couldn’t ask for a better son. I have had no problems at all with him.
He is trying his best looking for work, he’s had a few interviews but with no luck. We live in the North East of England which has a high percentage of unemployment.
I’d like him to move out but in his own time. I work part time & my husband works full time.
It is my husband who thinks he should be paying more board than he does. He is my son’s step dad.
Tori says
Hi, I am 23 and live with my folks, I work full time and pay $200.00 a week. I really should be paying more though need enough in case of emergency costs. I want to hopefully move out soon. Charging $60-$100 doesn’t even over a bill. In other words charge what needed don’t be too easy.