Mum Wants A Share Of Their Future Salary
A university student has taken to Reddit after his mother asked for a portion of his future salary once he starts working. Posting on the AskSingapore subreddit, he said he was upset by what felt like a demand for money, especially as he is still in university and has several financial commitments ahead.
He said he plans to apply for a BTO flat during his final year of university and will also have to repay his Higher Education Student Loan (HESL) after graduation.
He also pointed to rising living costs and what he described as relatively low fresh graduate salaries, saying he would have limited capacity to give money to his mother when he first starts working.
According to him, his mother earns about $14,000 a month and is not financially struggling.
He later added that his parents are separated. His father gives his mother $1,000 monthly for his expenses and another $1,000 for his sister.
They are also worried that a fresh graduate salary may barely cover their needs. The student’s worries have only grown because they must give up part of their salary before getting a full-time job.
Comments Say Household Contributions Can Be Reasonable
Some commenters said his mother may not necessarily need the money, but could view contributing financially as part of becoming an independent adult.
One highly upvoted commenter said parents continue to incur costs for their children even after they become adults, including expenses such as food, utilities, groceries and laundry.
The commenter suggested that he could explain that his first priority after getting a job is becoming financially independent and building enough savings to cover several months of expenses.
They also said he could contribute towards household expenses rather than treating the payment as an allowance. Other forms of contribution, such as buying groceries, bringing home food or helping more with household chores, were also suggested.
Another commenter said he should first clarify exactly how much his mother expects before becoming upset over the request.
They pointed out that there is a difference between giving parents money because they genuinely need financial support, giving a small amount as a symbolic gesture, and treating monthly payments as an obligation.
Some See It As A Form Of Filial Piety
Several commenters described giving parents money after starting work as a form of filial piety.
One person said their parents had also asked them to contribute when they started working, despite not needing the money. They eventually began giving their parents more after they stopped working.
Another commenter said their parents had asked them to contribute simply to “cultivate the habit”. They initially could not afford to do so and only started making payments several years later.
Some commenters also suggested setting a fixed amount that fits within his budget, rather than automatically giving a percentage of his salary.
One commenter said parents sometimes keep the money and eventually return it to their children, suggesting that he could discuss whether that might be the case.
The original poster said he would try to clarify his mother’s expectations closer to the end of university.
He also said previous conversations had involved comparisons with other families, including a colleague who reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their child’s medical education overseas.
For him, the discussion remains complicated by his upcoming student-loan repayments, plans to save for a BTO and the financial uncertainty that can come with starting a first job.
See the post here:
giving money back to parents after landing a job
byu/Upbeat-Sort9834 inaskSingapore
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