How should you deal when your housemate is late paying bills? Should you scream, throw a temper tantrum, or walk around silently resenting the person who hasn’t paid their bill? Nope, none of those are going to help the situation. Ask for the Money What you do need to do is to ask for the […]
Read More...Cooperative Living — Two Couples and Three Children
Karen and Tom live with his fifteen year old daughter and their two-year old child in a large house in the Boston area. They share this house with Dan, Selma and their four-year-old daughter. Karen says. “I’ve always preferred living cooperatively. What I’ve always liked is that it both makes life easier and more fun. […]
Read More...Splitwise Rent Calculator for Housemates
“I divide, you choose.” My mother taught me this basic rule for splitting stuff, usually some yummy cake or ice cream. Inherently fair, the divider makes sure both pieces are equal, while the chooser is assured that she will be able to pick the one she thinks is best. When sharing apartments, though, it’s a […]
Read More...Bluechips – Finance for people who share housing
I recently posted about Housemate’s Companion, an out-of-the-box app for Windows users who simply use computers. For those who program in Python, Bluechips offers a package designed for “small groups of people who share expenses.” I don’t know how good it is. But really how bad can it be when the developer(s) use the Stooges […]
Read More...Calculating Housing Costs
The general rule of thumb for a reasonable amount to spend on housing is now 30% of gross income. It used to be 27%. The three percent increase probably represents a creep upward as everyone copes with higher housing costs. So what is 30% actually? Here’s a quick look. Income $25,000, housing $625 a month. […]
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