For those of you with older kids at home, what do you do regarding dig money?

I’ve got an 18 year old and the agreement was that as long as he pitches in around the house (bins are his responsibility - emptying into the wheelie bins and putting out whichever one it is that week) and attends his college course then he can keep his money. He’s at college 2.5 days a week and then work for the rest, clearing around £900 a month.

The issue is he is always fucking “forgetting” to put the bins out. Even when I’ve bought him a fucking echo so he can set up reminders etc.

There’s myself, my wife and the 5 kids (10-18) so there’s a fuckton of rubbish. Missing it even once causes massive ballache. Thing is, he’s always forgetting.

Came to a head this morning because, once again, he forgot. This is after messaging me last night 15 minutes before he was due home asking to have someone stay, so I changed all my plans to accommodate. And the shit didn’t put the bins out again.

I feel like I’m going round in circles with him and it’s beginning to really affect me. Stressing to fuck over bins, what even is that!

Only thing I can think of is to start charging him dig money now. I’m sick bending over backwards for him not to pitch in with this one thing.

Does that seem reasonable? Or am I being a crabit bastard? What amounts are people taking from their weans etc here? Was thinking £100 since I easily spend more than that on keeping the lazy shit each month.

Edit to add - Dig Money meaning money he pays towards household expenses :)

  • SbisasCostlyTurnoverEnglish
    5•1 year ago

    On the money thing, I’ve always liked the idea that I take some of the adult kids money and store it away for them for when they move out.

    My kids are far too young for that, but I don’t think a bit of that sort of thing hurts in the long run. He’s earning significantly more than I was at his age and he’s not paying much at all; I’d give £150 a month to live at home 15 years ago, and I never saw any of it back.

    Charge him board. It’ll benefit him in the long run, especially if you fence off some of that money to give him later.