Save Money and Stretch Your Budget -Take in a Boarder

     I’ve had it up to here (hand extended over head) with radio voices telling me to cut back on spending because I’ve been so greedy. All America became so awash in luxurious decadence and overspending hogs so in love with themselves they thought they deserved to live in mansions. But that is not so.

     The average American, getting by on $45,000 a year has not been living like a potentate but wracking his brain trying to figure out how to pay the energy bill. Most  Americans can’t give up what they don’t have. So where can you cut an already stretched budget? By taking in a boarder.

   One way to pick up a few bucks without really exerting yourself is to take in a boarder. With living expenses so high, it makes good sense to share housing; After all, for most of human existence, we cohabited with others. The idea of lots of personal space or living alone is relatively new and not necessarily healthy.

   About a year ago, my family welcomed a boarder to our home, in our case, a family friend, a young man we knew we could get along with. My son and his girlfriend moved a boarder into their apartment, a college acquaintance – everyone saved money and got along fine.

   A boarder does not necessarily mean a nerdish clerk in a bow tie or beginning a new life as a character in a Carson McCullers novel. You don’t have to turn your house into a rooming house with people crawling all over the place (the old widow who sneaks in cats, the blind guy with deep thoughts, or the fresh-faced yet oddly sinister foreigner with just a bit of a limp). Just let out the empty room.

   Many homeowners have found themselves unable to afford to remain in their homes due to financial pressures such as job loss, income reduction or bills. Selling the home may not be feasible, as home values have dropped so dramatically.

   Renters face increased living expenses as roommates move out or back home with parents due to setbacks and the limited job market.

   Being a boarder can make the difference between independence and poverty. The young man boarding with my family has a built-in support system and the ability to work at a job unavailable to him if had stayed home in a small town with few opportunities.

   I get someone else to take out the trash and haul in groceries.  Due to the varying schedules of the folks who live here, I feel that my home is secure. Someone is almost always here and the comings and goings are quite random making it hard for anyone casing the joint to gauge a window of opportunity.

   Check with your local government to see what, if any, housing regulations might legally restrict taking in borders. Some municipalities limit cohabitation of unrelated people.

   Set rules from the git-go and decide on important things like who gets to eat what in the refrigerator and I’m not your maid so pick up your crap.

   It could make all parties more at ease if you draw up a simple contract so everyone understands the rules, when the rent is due, exactly what is to be shared and what is not to be shared.

   In this frightening economy, it’s nice to have a few extra bucks each month. You feel better about your budget and as if you are doing something (together with your boarder) to return to the old fashioned way of living. Besides, an extra person at table makes every meal seem like a party.