MEREDITH ANDERSON | senior staff writer
Once a month, my roommate Taylor always has mail. No it isn’t her subscription to People, a paycheck, a ‘just-checking-in-on-you’ note from mom or even a festive invite to an APU function—it is the dreaded utility bill.
Once a month there is a friendly sticky note on our refrigerator with a dollar sign and an amount, followed by the word “EACH.”
At our place, Taylor is the enforcer—and rightly so. She is firm yet fair, conscientious yet calm, and most importantly, pleasant yet persistent. Every house needs one, but not everyone may have someone so perfectly suited for this often sticky situation—wallets mysteriously disappear, banks suddenly close their doors at noon on Tuesdays and checks manage to get lost in the laundry. Not every living situation comes fully equipped with such a benevolent banker as our very own Taylor Rose. Here are some crucial tips to getting everyone to pay up:
1. Assign someone to the task of collecting the money at the beginning of the semester. Make sure this person will get the job done and all the roommates respect the position of the banker.
2. Set up a timeline and routine for each month. When can everyone expect the call for cash? Discuss how everyone will be notified and when the money will be due.
3. Decide on a reasonable temperature to keep the apartment at—some people are used to having the air on 24/7 while others would prefer to go natural by cultivating a cross-breeze. Set expectations that everyone can live with so the comfort of one person is not at the expense of another’s grocery budget.
4. Develop a system to deal with late payments before they happen. Try linking utilities to household chores. If a person fails to pay on time, establish a chore system that will penalize them. A couple weeks of taking out the garbage will certainly cure any case of repetitive, fraudulent money orders.
5. Another quick fix is to charge an extra 10 dollars a day for late payments. Not only does this instill the golden rule of karma in the late roommate, but it also rewards those who did pay on time, as the penalty detracts from their share of the bill.
6. For someone who is a serial bill felon, the old fashioned ‘teach them a lesson’ proves to be effective. Remove all the light bulbs from his or her room and bathroom. Accidentally turn off the hot water when the offender is taking a shower. You get the idea.
7. Sue.
Of course, any situation that involves friends and money has massive potential for hurt feelings, repressed animosity and unspoken alliances. Sometimes when tough love is in order, drastic measures must be taken. Responsibility needs to be learned sooner than later and who better to teach it than loving APU roomies? Better learn to pay up now before your roommates have to bail you out when in a bind.
