MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should Bob get a lodger?

Here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:
Should Bob get a lodger?

Bob lives in a three bedroom house with his teenage daughters Fifi, Peaches and Pixie. With £20,000 of debt, he's caught in a rat trap and decides a frugal lifestyle just isn't enough to clear what he owes; the only solution is to get a lodger. However this would mean bringing a stranger into the family home, plus his daughters would have to share a room together; something never in a million years they'd be happy about.
Click reply to have your say

Previous MMDs:

Should Ken ‘save’ Deidre’s kids from being taken into care?
Should Britney sell her blood?


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Comments

  • Get a lodger. Make sure she's female and comes with a good reference. Sorted.
  • skylight
    skylight Posts: 10,716
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    Women lodgers can be demented too!!

    I would say no. Unless I knew the person (lodger) - of which the complications that that entails is a different thread - then I view the safety and wellbeing of my children as way more important that a bit of extra cash.

    Once the kids have moved out, then its a different story - let all the rooms you can!
  • Ms_Chocaholic
    Ms_Chocaholic Posts: 12,553
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    Depends on the age of the teenagers, if 13, 14, 15 maybe not, but if older, 17, 18 and 19, yes get a lodger (preferably female) which will help clear the debt.

    Two of his daughters must be sharing a room together anyway so not too much hardship for all three to share and if Bob had the biggest bedroom, he could let all the girls have that and have the smaller room to ease the pressure.
    Thrifty Till 50 Then Spend Till the End
    You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time
  • No, not until at least one daughter moves out!
  • Mics_chick
    Mics_chick Posts: 12,014 Forumite
    Depends on the age of the teenagers, if 13, 14, 15 maybe not, but if older, 17, 18 and 19, yes get a lodger (preferably female) which will help clear the debt.
    I don't see what the problem is whatever the age of his kids...

    Two of his daughters must be sharing a room together anyway so not too much hardship for all three to share and if Bob had the biggest bedroom, he could let all the girls have that and have the smaller room to ease the pressure.
    I think this is an excellent idea :T :D

    The simple answer is YES imho :D
    You should never call somebody else a nerd or geek because everybody (even YOU !!!) is an
    "anorak" about something whether it's trains, computers, football, shoes or celebs :p :rotfl:
  • Surely Bob is getting child payments from the mother (unheard of, I know :p ) and is entitled to additional income support to help ease the burden?
  • bigpat
    bigpat Posts: 328
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    No dilemma here. Of course he should get a lodger. And it's sexist to say it should be a female! Whoever it is, get a reference from ,say, an employer.
  • iainkane
    iainkane Posts: 139 Forumite
    I've got to say I don't think it is a good idea, safety of your kids if they are younger has to be the priority. If they are older and out of school and not studying full time then he should be getting digs off them.

    Sad situation is that it might be a case of treading water with the debt until they start to be a bit more independent and clear it when he has less committments in terms of his kids. I wouldn't normally think this is the best idea but I think its better than a stranger in your house with your kids.
  • olly300
    olly300 Posts: 14,736
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    In theory it's a good idea to get a female lodger in but in practise it may be difficult keeping one lodger in for a long enough time to make any difference to his debt.

    People I've known who have lodged prefer families with at most one child simply because of practical issues around the bathroom and the amount of space in the house. If there is only one bathroom and the house is not that big i.e. doesn't have at least two reception rooms then Bill would find he would have a high turnover of lodgers which is disruptive for his whole family.

    If he does have the space he should get in a female foriegn student, another teenager, or someone who needs the room from Monday-Thursday, someone who will never be in except to sleep.
    I'm not cynical I'm realistic :p

    (If a link I give opens pop ups I won't know I don't use windows)
  • Mrs_Thrify
    Mrs_Thrify Posts: 1,673
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    3 teenagers sharing one room! I think their will be a lot of cat fights. 3 beds, 3 wardrobes and then of course the TV , music centre and playstation, etc
    Then 5 people wanting the bathroom, unless they have an en suite! It will be book your slot for a bath. I can't see Bob keeping the piece for long!
    If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
    Spring begins on 21st March.
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