Paying to stay at home

If you are of working age and are earning money, but are still living at home with your parent(s); they are likely to ask you to contribute to the household budget by paying board.

The amount of money you should expect to pay depends entirely on what your parents ask you for. There is no ‘guideline amount’ to charge, so deciding what you should pay will probably involve some discussion and negotiation.

Here are a few of the factors that might influence the amount you need to pay towards the household:

• How much money do you earn each week?
• How much money does the rest of the household earn?
• How do you contribute in other ways – do you do your own washing and ironing? Do you help with the shopping and cooking for the rest of the household?
• How much can you afford to pay? Do you have other essential outgoings?
• What are the shared outgoings of the whole household – how much are the electricity, gas and water bills? How much is spent on shopping for a week?
• Do you have to share a room with anyone?

If you feel you are being asked to pay too much, ask your parents to explain why they have decided on that amount of money – it could be that there are more bills to pay than you realise! Remember too that you are probably paying a lot less than it would cost you to rent a room in a house-share, let alone to cover the phone, utilities, council tax, food … and the rest! Research the alternatives before you complain that it’s too much! And don’t forget that when you live independently, you do everything for yourself; shopping, cooking, paying bills, washing, cleaning… the list is endless!

That said, you shouldn’t have to pay over the odds either. Sit down with your parents and go through the family budget. Find out how much money is needed to keep the household going, and how much is left over to spend on luxuries and socialising.

Click here to read what some parents and their sons/daughters have to say about paying board to live at home