How To Best Approach Shared Finances With Your New Roommate

What is the best way to approach shared finances with your new roommate?

It depends on who you have. Some of the roommates don't want to share any of the expenses, such as food. If they don't want to share for paper products, they have got to buy their own toilet paper for the bathroom, and paper towels for the kitchen. I've never had a major problem about this. I'm up front about it. We share the utilities, and utilities include the housekeeper that comes once a month, a gardener. The utilities are divided equally, whether you use the cable or not, you're going to pay for it. Whether you use the housekeeper in your room, you're going to pay for it anyway. Don't try bargaining with me it's not going to happen - the utilities are set. They change every month. Sometimes they're practically nothing, in the summertime. Electricity and gas is way down, and water is way up. You're upfront - you've already said, We're sharing utilities - this is not a bargaining point.