BillMonk Helps Roommates Stay Friends

A friend of mine says her daughter in college is getting a good education about how tough it can be when not every roommate pulls her share of cleaning and food buying.

Who owes what to whom can be sticky business in roommate living. Here's a free online tool you may want to tell your college kids about: BillMonk. You can keep track of money spent and borrowed, as well as stuff—books, movies—that move between friends in close quarters. Thanks to Boing Boing for the link.

Borrowing is awkward because people forget, BillMonk advises. The Friends page tells you the money and things you need to collect and return.

For kids used to carrying out a lot of life online, it's a helpful tool. Nothing that a calculator and a piece of paper couldn't handle, but it's a good way to keep everything organized, up front, and clearly laid out for friends to see in a neutral online way. It takes away the need for one roommate to be the heavy. Just share the list and stay friendly.