Hello Dear Reader,
We have more rooms than we need and have rented one out to a lodger in the past. Most of the time, it was OK. We had a few missed rent deadlines but overall, we were paid everything we were due.
Our son lives at home with us. I don’t mind, but in truth, I’ve done ‘mothering’ and now I see him as a grown up who lives in the house with us who we are related to. We also make him pay the market value of the room. I might be his mum but I’m doing him a dis-service if I allow him to live for free. Would I do this no matter what he earned? You bet I would. I didn’t give them money for nothing when they were young and I don’t give them anything now. He pays £65 a week, whether he’s there or not and I expect paying by direct debit.
You can rent a room out tax-free (see link for details) and it’s a great way to bring in an extra income to your home. In September, local schools will be taking placements for trainee teachers who will work in the school as part of their post-graduate training and they will be CRB checked and you can ask for references through the school. You could contact your local schools offering accommodation if you have a room free. The NHS (contact your local university accommodation officers and local training hospitals) also has training places out in the community as training for nurses does not just take place in hospitals. Likewise, the trainees will be CRB checked as they will be working with vulnerable people and in confidential settings. It’s also great if you can just offer Monday to Thursday, four night accommodation to workers away from home
Today will be my last blog until Monday and sorry guys, I’m not telling you why, I don’t tell you everything. Have a great Bank Holiday Weekend and think about renting a room out to earn some extra money!
Until Monday,
Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Have a good Bank Holiday. Let's hope for a little bit of sunshine.
Sue xx
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Hope you have a great weekend as well. 🙂
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Enjoy your break
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Ah. Gives me good reason to take a break too!
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I totally disagree wholeheartedly with the charges you demand from your your SON, just saying…..
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Dear Hoots Cove - my son is 26 and earns more than Dearly Beloved! Now fuck off!
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I'm with you Froogs on your son paying his way. My eldest has popped back home every couple of years or so when girlfriends kick him out on his ear. It's nice to see him but I'm not his slave. He takes over Mr S's hobby room, throws his clothes about and comes and goes without a by your leave. When they're grown up, they should act like it!
Mrs S
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Dear Hoots Cove..that's you told! Brilliant Froogs, succinct and to the point.
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Dear Hoots Cove…….that's you told.
Brilliant Froogs, succinct and to the point. Made my day that.
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Fully agree with you. All children need to understand the cost of living, if you feed your son as well he is getting a very good deal. Have a good weekend and keep your secret safe, it may be good to talk but everyone should have a private corner. Pam
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Good for you, Froogs! A sense of responsibility is something a lot of kids are growing up without these days.
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Froogs I agree. I don't have children but sometimes my brother stays for a bit when he's working in my area. I charge him for bed and board. After all I love him and it's good to see him but I cook an evening meal for us both and he'd have to pay a lot more to stay in a hotel up here near London or a crummy B&B. The way I see it were both doing each other a favour
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Wherever you are, whatever you are doing take good care of yourself and have a lovely break away from the cyber world!
San x
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I agree with you charging your son. Otherwise he will not appreciate the home he has. If he lived somewhere else he would have to pay it. I am sure he wouldn't expect to freeload from you.
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I once had a neighbor who moved into a small apartment to get away from children who drop in…
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When I started earning money, I started paying my parents a fee for living in their home eating their food. Nowadays children are spoiled to death, getting everything they want, never having to pay for anything. In the Netherlands 20% of all youngsters have a debt. No for studying or a house or even a car, but for the iPhone, the laptop and the lcd tv. They don't learn that they have to save before spending and they don't know the cost of living. OK, that was my rant for today! 😉 Have a nice weekend.
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I don't understand why you shouldn't have your son pay a rent… It seems to be a fair deal. 2 years ago, I had a friend at home during 2 months while he had major renovations done in his flat. I charged him 50 € a week and he had to contribute to the groceries, as we say in French “les bons comptes font les bons amis ” !
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Froggs, it's not always so cut and dried! My son's living at home but we don't charge him rent - how could we? He's lived on his own and paid his way before, but then he was made unemployed and had to move back in with us. Because we are happy to give him a roof over his head the government will pay him no benefits! While job hunting, he earns his keep by doing things around the house and being a chauffeur for the many visits to and from the hospital for my daughter's ongoing eye problems.
Until he has money in his pocket I have absolutely no intention of making him dip into what savings he has - they're earmarked for start-up expenses when he moves out again!
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I agree Froogs. If your son was running his own home, rent, electric, up-keep etc it would cost him more. He earns good money so it is only fair he pays. He is blessed with good money handling role models and he will do well. PS…..you have such a lovely way with words :):):);)
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If he is paying the full market rate why is he choosing to go home to his mother and not find a place of his own…………
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Have a nice Bank Holiday break !
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Was that you on the BBC this morning about resisting advertising
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totally agree about making your son pay his way, about four years ago my son was earning £250 a week and we asked for £50 board per week, he didn't like paying board, so he moved in with a friend to share bills instead and realised he was onto a good thing living at home and ever since then he has wanted to move back, erm sorry no! it was his choice to move out into the big wide world 🙂
Josie x
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totally agree about making your son pay his way, about four years ago my son was earning £250 a week and we asked for £50 board per week, he didn't like paying board, so he moved in with a friend to share bills instead and discovered he was onto a good thing living at home and ever since then he has wanted to move back, erm sorry no! it was his choice to move out into the big wide world 🙂
Josie x
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Have a lovely break. Both of my daughters have paid when they were at home. I always let them have 3 months before paying to help them get work clothes and travel passes etc and then they paid just like I did when I lived at home. We call it board money dont know if thats an area thing but I suppose it comes from bed and board. hope your son is ok as you have mentioned before that he had a flat and girlfriend so im hoping he is just working somewhere near your home at the moment and thats why he's stopping. looking forward to seeing some sewing from the new superduper machine.xxx
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Have a lovely break. Both of my daughters have paid when they were at home. I always let them have 3 months before paying to help them get work clothes and travel passes etc and then they paid just like I did when I lived at home. We call it board money dont know if thats an area thing but I suppose it comes from bed and board. hope your son is ok as you have mentioned before that he had a flat and girlfriend so im hoping he is just working somewhere near your home at the moment and thats why he's stopping. looking forward to seeing some sewing from the new superduper machine.xxx
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The year after finishing Uni, our son returned (and like you we welcomed him home with open arms). He then worked locally when required for a gardener, working hard and earning a reasonable amount every so often. We discussed house keeping with him and settled on him paying food as he was eating with us and I was packing him up lunch each day. He was happy to pay, the rest he put away towards a deposit for a flat while his girlfriends finished uni. They then moved in together when he got a job and after 3 years they had saved enough to get their first house and are now both working. Learning to save is perhaps the most important lesson we can teach them. They don't have a credit card.
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It's a contentious issue charging kids board when they're adults at home. Your son gets a good deal at £65 per week for board and meals - we once paid for our daughter (on top of her uni house rent) £100 per week for board and most evening meals for five weeks when she had a hospital placement too far to travel. We dont charge her board for uni holidays at present but she does save any holiday earnings to supplement the allowance we pay her through her uni course as it is so intensive and with variable placements that its difficult to commit to a regular job in uni time, hence why she works when she's home. I feel if they're earning once they've graduated or left school/college that they should pay - I always did and helped out round the house - it's probably valid to use a sliding scale if they're on a lower income if unemployed but to be honest if they have any get up and go they can usually find some work even if its only temping as Sarah does in the hols - she has packed cheese or cosmetics into boxes, done office temping, worked in a shoe shop and a few other things, anything to get the dosh in she's not proud and not afraid of hard work
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I was a single working Mom and when the children lived at home I always made them pay board even when they were only receiving £45.00 per week dole money, they still paid their board money.
If they borrowed any money from me the rule always was that they must pay it back - if they didn't pay back I wouldn't lend to them again - (they always paid it back!) life is about paying our way and the sooner they learned that, then the better it would be for them as they left home.
However when my daughter moved back following a relationship breakdown with some debt in tow - I helped her out, for a set time period and she lived rent free until she was straight, but it was all set out and agreed before hand - it's a fine line isn't? it doesn't hurt our offspring to pay their way if they can afford to do it but when they can't then we're all Moms and there to help them - interesting post and I thought the reply to Hoots Cove was just brill!!!
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