Your mum doesn’t live here.
Resist, request, replace.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's food, shampoo, or expensive personal speaker, but if your unquenchable need for their stuff persists:
Resist it. The best bet is always to leave your housemate's possessions alone. Stop, drop, and get your own.
Request it. If you feel like you just can't live without that artisan cheese on their shelf in the fridge, ask them in person or text and get the go-ahead before you indulge.
Replace it. Anything you take from your housemate, with or without permission should be immediately replaceable, and identical. Finish their cereal? Buy them a new box before their next breakfast. If you eat a handful of crisps they offer you, don't sweat it, but if you've secretly used half of their body wash but didn't technically finish it... do the right thing.
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Optimise your space.
You can't always get what you want in shared space, so make the most of what's yours.
Find furniture that serves a dual purpose. Drawers under the bed are genius and storage ottomans are another gem. Use this space to store all those things you're afraid your roomies won't resist, request, or replace!
Use helpful DIYs. Hack your tiny room on the cheap for comfort and convenience.
Minimalise. Clean out your old stuff to make room for your actually important stuff, and create a safer and calmer personal space in the process. Even if it's madness outside your bedroom door, you'll have your own zen spot to retreat to.
Do your dishes!
It's not hard and it makes everything easier. If dirty dishes are a major battleground in your shared kitchen, try these tips to minimise the damage:
Just do the dishes as you go! Clean everything you used right after you used it.
Prefer to do a big load of dishes all at once? You'll have to pay for the privilege. Buy your own set of cooking and dish ware and keep them in an out-of-sight crate until you're ready to clean them - this way your housemates have access to the dishes they need without having to deal with yours, and you can keep doing things in your own time.
Running really late and just out of time to clean your porridge bowl? Avoid frustration by popping your housemates a text and letting them know that you know you left it, then take care of it as soon as you can. If they've done it for you - remember to say thanks!
Make a food plan.
Do not upset the delicate balance that is your food arrangement with your housemates. Agree early on how you'll share or not share edibles to avoid frustration and starvation later in the game. If you're not sure what route to go, try some of these suggestions from reddit:
Share kitchen basics: Communal condiments, spices, and dairy will make sure these staples are used up before they're expired and replaced quickly.
Have a communal "free shelf." Everyone should have their own separate cabinet/box/shelf for the food they bought and no should should venture beyond their own space, but designate a "free shelf" to leave items that are up for grabs. If there's always something free, people are less likely to dive into their housemate's stash. Use the free shelf for items you can't finish before you expire, foods you didn't like, or you just want to share some biscuits because you're such. a good. person.
Always leave enough for a final helping. Even if you have a lax food sharing policy in your house, if you're eating something that you didn't buy, always leave a healthy portion for the owner.
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