Is there a board calculator?

You can do it in a couple of minutes with the floor and ceiling method above. Then drop the number into Pay Split as your Housing pot to see how the rest of your week looks.

Should board be a percentage of my pay?

Some families use a percentage because it moves with your hours. That can work well for casual pay. Just check the number against your floor, so you're at least covering your share.

What if my parents don't want board?

Lucky you. Still set aside a Housing amount each week and send it to your Investing pot or a moving-out pot. You'll build the habit and a head start at the same time.

Should I pay board if I'm studying?

Talk about it as a family. Plenty of parents go lighter while you study. If you're earning, even a small contribution keeps the habit going.

Learn · Budget

How much board should I pay my parents?

A fair stack of coins slid across the family table. Board agreed, not guessed.

Your share of the costs is the floor, a room elsewhere is the ceiling. Agree somewhere fair in between.

There's no single right number, but there is a simple way to land on a fair one. Work out what you actually cost the household (that's your floor), check what a room would cost you anywhere else (that's your ceiling), and agree on something in between with your family. Then put it in your Housing pot and pay it like rent.

Board just means chipping in for living at home (in the US, it's usually called paying rent to your parents).

How much for board? Start with your floor

Your floor is your fair share of the costs that go up because you live there. Grab a rough number for each:

Food: the weekly shop divided by how many people eat from it
Power and gas: the bills, turned into a weekly amount, divided by the people in the house
Internet and streaming: same again
Anything else your parents cover for you: your phone plan, car insurance, petrol, toiletries

You don't need to be exact. Ask your parents for rough figures or look at a couple of bills together.

Then check your ceiling

Look up what a room in a share house costs near you, including bills. Board shouldn't be more than that, or moving out would be cheaper. Where you land between the floor and the ceiling depends on your family, not a stranger online.

A worked example

Jess is 19, works part-time and takes home $650 a week. She lives with her parents and one sibling, so four people.

Her floor:

Groceries: $320 a week ÷ 4 = $80
Power and gas: about $60 a week ÷ 4 = $15
Internet: about $20 a week ÷ 4 = $5
Her phone plan, which her parents still pay: $10

Floor = $110 a week.

Her ceiling: a room nearby with bills is around $250 a week (she checked a few listings).

Jess and her parents agree on $120 a week. That covers her share, adds a bit for the house, and leaves room to save. It's about 18% of her take-home.

Then the check: with $120 in Housing, can she still cover Everyday spends, keep an Emergency Fund trickle going and put at least 10% into her Investing pot? Yes. If the answer were no, that's a sign to talk the number down a bit or revisit it later.

Try your own version in Pay Split. Put your board in Housing and see what's left.

How much board should I pay at 18 (or 17)?

Age matters less than your situation. A 17-year-old doing a few shifts while finishing school is in a different spot to a 22-year-old working full-time. Things that reasonably move the number:

Hours and pay: full-time pay usually means a bigger contribution
Study: lots of families go easier while you're studying
What you're saving for: if you're saving hard to move out or buy a first car, your parents might agree to a lower number for a while
How things are at home: if money's tight for your family, chipping in more can take real pressure off

It's not a test of whether you're a good kid. Living at home is really common, and contributing what's fair for your family is the whole job.

How to bring it up without it being awkward

Go in with your numbers. "I worked out my share of food and bills is about $110 a week. Does $120 sound fair?" is a much easier chat than "how much do I owe you?" Also:

Pick a review point. A pay rise, finishing study, going full-time. Agree to look at it again then.
Agree what's included. Does board cover your food? Your phone? Who pays if you use the car?
Make it automatic. Set a transfer for the day after payday so nobody has to chase it.

Where board fits in your budget

Board lives in your Housing pot. Treat it like rent: out first, every pay, so real rent won't feel like a shock when you move out. More on the setup: How do I even budget while living at home?

Living at home can be a great time to build: a bigger Investing slice, a solid Emergency Fund, sinking pots for the things you want, and still room for friends, sport and the weekend away. The free First Pay Playbook walks through setting up all your pots.

FAQ

How much board should I pay my parents?: Work out your share of the household costs (food, power, internet, anything they pay for you) as your floor. Check what a room nearby would cost as your ceiling. Agree on a fair number in between with your family.
Is there a board calculator?: You can do it in a couple of minutes with the floor and ceiling method above. Then drop the number into Pay Split as your Housing pot to see how the rest of your week looks.
Should board be a percentage of my pay?: Some families use a percentage because it moves with your hours. That can work well for casual pay. Just check the number against your floor, so you're at least covering your share.
What if my parents don't want board?: Lucky you. Still set aside a Housing amount each week and send it to your Investing pot or a moving-out pot. You'll build the habit and a head start at the same time.
Should I pay board if I'm studying?: Talk about it as a family. Plenty of parents go lighter while you study. If you're earning, even a small contribution keeps the habit going.