all my family give good presents, except my bf sister who came with 2 adults and she has 3 kids and gave 50 bucks !!!!!!!!!!!!!(even when us 2 went to her house which was BYO and gave her $150 for her 30th).
Here is another instance of you either being very spoilt, or extremely ungrateful. Maybe your boyfriend's sister is not as well off as you and $50 is all they can afford. Most reasonable people would be very happy with a gift of $50. Remember, it is the thought that counts.
Another question: Skater or Skater Junior, do you have to pay anything when you go on holidays with your parents/family? For example if you go to Europe, or even just a trip to QLD?
Would you have to pay for food or accomodation or flights? Where does this 'rent' stuff stop?
As for this silly question, as we are talking about "board" not "rent", and there most certainly is a huge difference. For instance, if we let a room out to someone else, they would have to pay 5 times what my child pays. Anyway, back to the question, it depends on the situation and on which of my children you are referring to. The eldest child, who has a full time job as well as 2 part-time jobs would certainly have to contribute. If flying, then she has to pay her own airfares, I pay for the accommodation, as I was going to do that whether or not she decides to come too. She pays for her own extravagant extra's (of which there are usually plenty). The youngest, as she does not earn a full-time income yet, definately does not have to pay anything. This changes as soon as she starts full time employment, and she is well aware of this fact.
Over their formative years I have spent the equivalent of around half of the average wage each year on their sporting activities and they have both represented Australia more than once. Even though working full time, I also contributed to the costs of the eldest having lessons, before she decided that life was too hard to put in hours of training on top of a full time job. Then she gets 2 part-time jobs, so now puts in even more hours, go figure. So, as you can see, they have not been hard done by at all.
You all keep saying things along the lines of, you will find it hard when you go into the real world, but atleast Ill be going out in the real world with a bit more $$ than most, because i didnt have to give it to my parents. They instead, let me keep my money that I earn.
Going out into the real world with more $$ than most is NOT a good thing. If you haven't struggled to save while paying for all your expenses, you don't put as much value on the money and it could very quickly be squandered on wants, rather than needs.
You will only go into the "real" world with more money than most because you have been handed it on a plate. My parents could have done that for us, but I would not have taken it. I wanted to build my own life, and not be some pampered princess with no feeling of having "done it myself".
Obviously, if you have lived your whole life this way, you have no concept of anything other than that "Dad will give it to me, or Dad will fix it".
Whilst having to pay $200K for something that Dad paid $600K for and is spending another $600K to build is "nice" I wouldn't accept it.... but that's just me.
It might sound like sour grapes, but I assure you it is not. One day my brother and I will inherit a substantial estate, but in the meantime, there is a lot of satisfaction from knowing we have done things on our own. I hope you never have to experience "real life" because I fear you would crumble rather quickly.
But you are missing the most important point here. We charge our kids board, and make them pay for their own expenses, not to get rich off of our own children, but to teach them responsibility and to prepare them for when they leave home.
As Wylie has said, there is a lot to be said for "doing it yourself". Just, as an exercise, lets play pretend. You have left home, and for some reason Daddy is not there to help you anymore. You have secured your first job, and you have been lucky enough to get a job where you earn $700 per week, after tax has been taken out. (I know, it's not much, but that is the reality of most people's lives) The Duplex fell through, so you have to rent, and the boyfriend isn't there to help out either.
Could you prepare a budget, and stick to it? Will you remember all of the bills that come in each month. Can you list what your expenses might be, and how much you have left over for discretionary spending?
