Two Pence Weekly - Kids Paying Board

My children don’t pay board money

They never will.

Provided they do as I ask.

They have one rule that they must do without exception.

They have to save.

Now my lad did argue this at one point because he should be able to spend what he wants when he wants (he is beyond tight; he uses the rose-scented shower gel when he runs out). He doesn’t like being told what to do; he is an adult now (eighteen and still asks if he can go to the pub with his friends from work, bless him. I do wonder what he would do if I ever actually said no; I might try this one day. He likes to figure things out on his own, which isn’t necessarily a bad trait. Sometimes he prefers to make life difficult, I think he likes a challenge.

So he decided he would pay board and when he eventually moves out, I could give it back to him for a deposit. This did tickle me, although he didn’t find it quite so funny when I said, no, I don’t think so. He can pay board if he wants, but he isn’t getting it back. I have heard that some people do this, although it’s not for me. If I take board off of the kids, I am going to spend it. I will spend like a millionaire whilst sending all the pictures of what fab things he brought me with his board money. I know this sounds awful, but there is a method to my madness.

A paper aeroplane dreaming of space travel, proving that no dream is too big.

The kids have to save a set amount each month, an amount that they decided would be suitable to build a pot for the things that they wanted. My lads goal is his first house, he dreams big from the off, good for him.

So here is my thought process.

They have to see that money in the bank every month, see it gradually building and learn enough restraint not to touch it. They have to learn how to budget and not splurge when they have a bit of money in the bank. I do not have any control over their accounts however, I will ask every so often what they have in their savings account to make sure they are doing what was agreed. This gives them responsibility, and I would rather them mess up whilst they are at home than once they have left home. Plus I am hoping that it will stop them from finding the pub and the wrong crowd. If this works, they will have a nice little nest egg ready for when they move, or it will fail miserably, and no one will be worse off for it.

A vintage ticket labelled "Dream" represents the gateway to big aspirations and the pursuit of ambition.

The deal is

If they do this

They don’t have to pay board

If they don’t

They will pay board, and the amount’s going to hurt.