Could I suggest you two stop discussing this on the board and have a face-to-face conversation with each other? Obviously there are greater issues than the money that need to be talked about.
Would you both be prepared to sit down with each other, listen and try to understand where the other person is coming from, and try to work out a solution that you are both satisfied with?
You might “greatly appreciate” that, but obviously your mom doesn’t think you merely being appreciative is a fair trade for free housing. How exactly are you showing that you “greatly appreciate” her anyway? This is an example where actions speak louder than words.
If one of your customers decided not to pay you because, for whatever reason, they felt entitled to free services, would you not be pissed off? What if they tried to guilt you into it by pointing to all the other expenses they have? Wouldn’t you be thinking “Hey dude, that’s a nice sob story and all, but why should I lose out because of that”?
You are being that kind of customer to your mom. You’re taking advantage of your relationship with her, which is bad enough, but then you’re being emotionally manipulative with the guilt trips. If you don’t want her to talk down to you, don’t give her a reason to. Pay rent or move out.
I am the son, and that’s my observation from the replies.
That has been tried many times to no avail. We clearly have far too different opinions on the matter.
We have tried and it always ends up going nowhere and I get stressed. Yes that is my son SirGladstone.
Maybe this thread can help others here as well. I am certain this is not an original argument. This is an age old moral dilemma that I knew could be better explained by those who actually had parents who explained this to them. To me, it was not something that should be questioned. Not at 24 years old.
Very true. Those instances are quite annoying. Thank you for the analogy
Hell, he’s just some guy on the internet who I dislike and will never have to meet. Not offended at all. No need to apologize to me or anyone here. You might, though, want to apologize to the poor girl he ends up marrying someday. He’s going to treat her like crap.
The easiest route would be for SirGladstone to move out on his own. If you both decide NOT to go that route for now, I suggest a Mediator for a serious sit-down discussion. A professional Mediator can keep the discussion on track, pull everyone back from tangents and keep the discussion to facts and not let emotion derail everything.
Yes, that costs money. Perhaps SirG could pay in lieu of back rent.
You are just a bully. Go elsewhere.
Good suggestion, matter of fact my best friend is a sergeant in the military and would probably be great for this. Trying that! In lieu of back rent I would be happy to pay for it.
That doesn’t sound like bullying, that sounds like an opinion formed from what has been written so far.
Not everyone is going to like you or agree with you. Part of being an adult is learning to deal with the negatives in life. Learn to deal…
Also, the board has an Ignore function. Very useful for keeping the blood pressure down.
Umm, no. Your best friend would not be great for that.
No, NOT your best friend. You need a totally impartial professional stranger.
No, you don’t. A business budget has to include wages and/or living expenses for all employees, INCLUDING yourself. If your business is big enough to have several employees and you still can’t support yourself, you’re doing it wrong.
Or you’re just a jerk.
Someone pointing out that you are an adult leach feeding on your ailing mom is a bully? :dubious:
What was your Schedule C income for 2012 or, if you pay yourself on a W2, how much did you pay yourself? You call it your gross income here but I believe it’s your business’s gross receipts, which makes it completely irrelevant to discussing your personal expenses. If your business is only grossing $94,000 you’re probably below federal guidelines for poverty, unless it’s a very profitable business.
I still think you should pay rent, by the way. I just find the $94,000 figure extremely misleading.
Of course you should be paying rent. How pathetic.
God, I hope I did not sound this immature and selfish at age 24. Or, if I was, that my parents did not permit/encourage it. IMO, there are basically 2 options - either you pay your mom rent, or you move out and do things however you wish. The fact that the 2 of you feel yourselves incapable of handling this yourselves suggests there is something truly fucked up in the dynamic between the 2 of you, and IMO tilts the scale towards move out.
Or how’s this as an option - if you feel cash is tight, instead of rent, give your mom an ownership interest in your business. I don’t know how such things are calculated, but if I were a 24 yr old man and wished to be viewed as something other than a leech sucking off of my mom, I’d do something other than what you currently are doing.
You sound either pathetic, or inconsiderate. Either you simply expect more than you deserve, or you are intentionaly manipulating your mom. In either scenario, I can imagine one might derive some benefit from perceiving onself as a victim of circumstances.
Oh yeah - pretty sad to act as tho you’ve been given rough treatment in this thread. 
I guess the next thing will be for the rest of us to let you in on how things are commonly handled on these here internets! Actually, for someone to signup and in his first day start suggesting longtime members leave, strongly supports my opinion as to your perception of you own importance. You are a selfish, immature user. At least be honest with yourself and recognize that.
Honestly, I think the two of you should take a step back, and approach this business relationship at arms length.
If the son rents from the mother, he gets the same rights and respect that the other renters do. He doesn’t have to do chores the others don’t do, he doesn’t get to ask mom to do his laundry. Mom doesn’t get to ask him for help, or try to teach him responsibility unless she would do the same thing if he rented an apartment across town.
It may still not work out, but renting together is likely a better deal financially than having him move out, so it’s worth an honest try.
Having your mom support you (and your business) rent-free-ish is no longer going to work. It keeps you in a “not yet a grown-up” situation where she feels the need to teach you responsibility and assign you chores.