Money Moral Dilemma: Should I share cashback on a shared bill with my housemates?

EvelynBaker

I wonder how many people who say you should share the cash back have actually been in this position? Running bills for a household (of students especially) is a lot of effort, never mind finding the original deal to begin with and setting it all up. Most people would have have just kept the original suppliers and changed the name and probably be paying over the odds. It is not the households money it belongs to the person who finds the deal. Chasing people up to pay bills is a nightmare and the OP deserves every penny!

TEZZA1953

YES YES YES and ALWAYS YES!!!!!!!!
Not to do is SELFISH!!!!!!

Gavin83

I’ve always followed a simple rule on dishonesty, tell the people it affects. So tell your housemates you’ve made the saving and see what they say. If you don’t want to tell them that says everything you need to know.

I wouldn’t quite class this as theft but it’s not far off.

bobsled0490gmail.com

You did the work. Why should they get the pay?

pickledonionspaceraider

Hmmm I dunno.

One one hand, they sat back and let you sort it all out.......but on the other, it is morally wrong to keep it

I think, after some consideration, I would suggest a house party and use it for the booze, so everyone has a good time

My conscious would likely prevent me from just keeping shtum

onwards&upwards

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

but on the other, it is morally wrong to keep it

Why do think that?

Pollycat

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

Hmmm I dunno.

One one hand, they sat back and let you sort it all out.......but on the other, it is morally wrong to keep it

I think, after some consideration, I would suggest a house party and use it for the booze, so everyone has a good time

My conscious would likely prevent me from just keeping shtum

We don't actually know that the bit in bold is true.
One of the other students may have also wanted to be responsible for the bills but the author of this dilemma overruled them.
It's a possibility.

pb8770

When you're in charge of paying the Bill's in a shared property you're putting your name on a bill which you're responsible for should your housemates default, so therefore you're taking s risk, and taking that risk has paid off. Your housemates could've had the bill in their name, but you must've been happy to take it on. So although you've got cashback it's not a reduction in the bill ,its a loyalty payment, so why would you have to give your housemates money back, you're still liable for the contract for the full term, supposing you had given each mate £20 back, one or 2 could fail to pay you in months to come leaving you out of pocket. So enjoy your windfall and keep it you could perhaps buy a pack of beers or a few bottles of wine as a goodwill gesture.

ekeitout

Have a meeting and tell the others that you've worked for and been promised this bonus payment, and set some Ground-Rules now. Usually one person takes on (or ends up lumbered with) the lion's share of organising everybody. The key is communication, so ideally before anyone had even put their name to the rental agreement they'd have met and have set out everyone's Rights and also their Responsibilities, and covered the possibility of bonus payments such as this. Sometimes, that feels too embarrassing to contemplate for fear of seeming 'bossy' or worse, but it's part of the journey to becoming adult and is honouring and respectful to each one.
It's never too late to do this ...we all hope for the best, but we'd be crazy not to consider/prepare for the worst. If any of the co-renters baulk at these 'rules', maybe they're not the right person to share with?

Rollyb

When I was at uni 15 years ago, I managed all the bills for our uni house for 2 years. There were 4 of us. I was on a whole student loan due to my parents income. They had mummy and daddy. I set up a DD to save money and searched for best deals etc as had been taught proper financial management by my dad. They constantly failed to pay and on one occasion I had to borrow money from the university to get me through the month as had paid the whole bill for the end of year when a bill came through as dd wasn’t enough. Fed up, I split the bills in 3 rather than 4. They did eventually pay up, or their parents did, all monies owed and I had free amenities. Not an honest decision granted but if you are doing the work, they do nothing and don’t pay, stuff them