Welcome to the Sharing Housing Blog
Sharing housing just makes sense. Especially when money is tight and you are stretching to make ends meet. This blog is intended to help you find and keep good housemates. This is for all generations. In our society we have all ages of people who live alone supporting one roof by themselves. For those who have never done it, it is very scary to think of moving in with a stranger or opening up your house to a stranger. This blog is to help you consider it and support you in doing it.
Two Reasons for Sharing Housing
Money
A person living alone pays all the bills for mortgage/rent, heat, hot water, water, electricity, internet access and/or cable. Other costs, depending on the location can be trash removal, sewer, plowing, lawn care or Christmas tips to the doorman. Sharing means that these costs are cut. By how much depends completely on the circumstances but think about paying half of what you pay now!
Social Interaction
We live in a strange society. For single adults it is so easy to be isolated from each other. It is possible to have no significant social interaction with anyone outside of the office. We drive to and from work alone in cars, we interact with folks at work, on the way home we might shop, and then no one is home. A single person has to make a social life. They can do this by joining a group, taking a class, or calling a friend to make a plan. We rarely drop in on one another. This isolation is exacerbated by watching television or reading blogs (hmm…) where though we have the sense of being with people, it isn’t really the same. It’s not a human interaction. This is not normal. Human beings are fundamentally a tribal people, for whom interaction is constant and communal.
In shared housing there is someone with whom to say good morning, have a casual conversation, and maybe, perchance, share a meal.
Use This Blog
Ask for Advice
There is a form on the “Ask Annamarie” page that gives you an easy way to ask for advice and help about finding and keeping good house mates. All questions posted will have the category “Ask_Annamarie”.
Share Your Own story
I believe that there are many more people successfully sharing housing than is currently known. Please share your story. Stories are the best way of encouraging others to take this step towards combating housing costs and social isolation.
Read the Blog and Comment
To comment on a blog posting, select the posting. Once you are on the page of that positing, there is a place to comment. If you haven’t registered as a user, there will be a link to let you register.
