My roommates and I cannot agree on what counts as a 'shared' household item.
By @kiramaybe · Petty or Nah
One of my roommates (20F) created a hyper-detailed spreadsheet to track every single communal item we use, from toilet paper squares to dish soap. I think it's nuts and said I'll just buy my own stuff, but now they're mad at me for 'disrupting the house vibe'.
The full story
i'm in a house with three other girls, all of us are 20/21. when we moved in, we agreed to split the cost of shared stuff like paper towels, cleaning supplies, trash bags, etc. seemed simple enough. we used to just use an app to split costs whenever someone bought something for the house. but about a month ago, one of my roommates decided this wasn't 'equitable' enough because she thinks some people use more than others. so she made a spreadsheet. and i dont mean a normal spreadsheet. i mean this thing is a work of art if you're an accountant. it's color-coded. it has formulas. she literally weighed the bottle of laundry detergent to calculate a 'cost per ounce' and wants us to log every load we do. she wants us to estimate how many paper towels we use. she has a section for 'guest usage' if we have friends over who use the bathroom. it is genuinely insane. last week i got a venmo request for $1.17 for my 'over-usage of premium toilet paper' for the month of may. i almost crashed out. i'm a full-time student and i work 20 hours a week, i do not have the time or the mental energy to log every time i wipe a counter or use a damn swiffer pad. i told them this is getting ridiculous and that from now on, i'm just opting out. i'll buy my own toilet paper, my own dish soap, my own everything, and keep it in my room. i thought this was a reasonable solution. apparently not. they had a house meeting (without me) and then told me that me buying my own stuff 'fosters a sense of division' and is 'petty and isolating.' they said it makes it awkward for them because now they have to like, make sure i'm not using their 'communal' hand soap. i feel like i'm going crazy. am i the one being unreasonable here? i just don't want to get a bill for using a trash bag.
How people voted
- Bad Move — 34% (41 votes)
- Needs Context — 40% (49 votes)
- Reasonable — 26% (31 votes)
Readers are split: “Needs Context” leads with 40% — 121 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@jay — The phrase 'over-usage of premium toilet paper' is a work of art.
@violetok — I would start 'accidentally' spilling things on the spreadsheet. Repeatedly.
@paigefr — start logging things in crayon just to see what happens
@tesslol — This reminds me of my freshman roommate who tried to charge me for using 'her' electricity when I plugged my laptop in. Some people are just built different.
@jettkk — Your aversion to transparency is actually creating the awkwardness you're trying to avoid.
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