This weekend, my roommate and I got a goody bag on our doorstep thanking us for the year we’ve lived in our apartment and telling us we’d be swiftly and assuredly kicked out if we didn’t sign a lease for another year. It also let us know that the rent for our next lease would be going up ten dollhairs, which would have been devastating news had we not been distracted by the multitude of management-logo-emblazoned knickknacks that also came in the bag. That bag of soda koozies, pocket screwdriver, and computer duster saved both me and the roommate from what would otherwise have been a day inevitably ruined by inflation and a demanding landlady.
Another thing that often saves the day for roommate and me is Splitwise.com. Roommate found this website, and I’m glad she did, because it takes the guesswork and hassle out of sharing living expenses like internet and electric bills. This website is free to use for roommates who want to divide up their monthly expenses equally.
I really like Splitwise because you can put in all your bills and their due dates ahead of time, and it will remind you when you need to pay them, which is perfect for grad students who already have enough deadlines to remember. The best part of this website, though, has to do with what the website calls “settling up.” At the end of the month, once everyone has added his or her bills and expenses for the month, Splitwise will notify whichever roommate owes money to the other roommate(s). It basically takes the math and headache out of trying to figure out who owes what, especially when each roommate is paying different amounts for the bills he or she is responsible for.
That’s all I use Splitwise for, but it also has expense-splitting systems available for people who host visitors for extended periods of time and for people who go on a trip together and want to split the costs. It’s the perfect way to keep grudges away by making sure everyone’s paying up fair and square.
We didn’t put the koozies on Splitwise. I told roommate she could have both of them, and I think she was pretty eggcited about it.
How do you and your roommates figure out your monthly expenses? Do cheap knickknacks ever help you negotiate your finances?
Grad Cool 
I just demand monthly payments from Nancy and withhold kitten if she doesn’t pay up.
This looks really cool! Makes me want to have a roommate who doesn’t pay all my bills just so I can use it.
I shoved those koozies in the cupboard, but I did use the keyboard cleaner at work!
Thank goodness for Splitwise. I’ll pay you Friday :D