Boomerangs

Our 22 year-old graduated from college in May and is now living with us. He is working full time in his major and doing well.

A friend asked me today if we were charging him to live here. We are not. At this stage of the game, we're just happy to have him off our payroll. HA.

Do you make your young adults pay to live at home, or did you?

He is making dinner for us right now. He food shops and cooks so I haven't felt the need to charge him. Thoughts?

Just having him food shop and cooking (even1-2 times weekly) is helpful. I'm sure he is dimly aware of his family's budget limits. You are lucky he enjoys doing this for his parents.

Maybe after a few months/year it might be useful to discuss for a nominal payment. Yes, my parents asked us...and they charged rent about 1/4 monthly of what it would be normally. Of course their intent was to help us later buy our own homes,...which it did help alot. tHis is a win-win situation IF the adult child is saving some money in the bank over time/paying off education debts.

I would never charge my kids for living in our house unless we were absolutely destitute. Which we're not.

My kids are my kids, they're my family. They are welcome anytime and always.

No, our children never paid rent. I would have felt lousy getting any money from their low salaries. I know though, that both of them would give us everything they own if we ever needed it, so one hand does wash the other.

I think it's great that your son shops and cooks for you. One of our sons is a hobby cook and cooks for us every weekend. The other helps us in the garden whenever he can, although meanwhile, both have their own households.

My husband had to give half his pay check to his parents and had no ill feelings about it. They really needed the money, (7 children).

We paid rent. Back in the 70's we paid a whopping $40/week! We were so mad, BUT when it came time to go out on our own, we realized how good we had it since our rent was $300/month PLUS utilities!

As a KID being charged, I'm glad we were. That taught us responsibility. I say you work, you don't live for FREE. The grocery shopping/cooking etc still needs to be done if he were out on his own.

But I am not a parent, so my view probably does not count. But I was a KID of a parent and I think it taught me some great lessons.

Just my two cents.