Remember the old Boarding Houses..

It could be someone who also lived there and cooked in lieu of paying rent. With three or four boarders each making their own meals, you'd need a heckuva big fridge or maybe two. And imagine the crowd in the kitchen or having to wait your turn to cook your own separate dinner.

I had to re-learn to cook when I got married...because our family was so big that when I was learning, five pounds of potatoes were cooked for dinner, two dozen eggs and two pounds of bacon or sausage and a loaf of bread for toast for breakfast. (Lordy! How on earth did my parents afford to feed us???) I'm still better at cooking a lot of food than a little.
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
I remember boarding houses while growing up in my hometown. They were very common in the 40s and 50s (and long before that, but I wasn't around back then). There's would be a small sign either in a front window or in front of the house "Room and Board" or "Rooms for Rent". They sort of faded out, at least outwardly, over time, and I'm kind of thinking that when there were an abundance of them, it was at a time when widow ladies didn't have any (or very little) income and opened up their homes to boarders so that they could keep their homes and support their children. There were a lot of mines up there, and when men were killed or disabled in mining accidents, the family income stopped. Occasionally, the mining companies would pay a settlement to the widows when there were "special circumstances", but that happened only rarely.

As time went on and more women had enough SS benefits on their husbands' records or had worked themselves and had pensions/their own SS benefits, so taking in boarders was no longer a necessity.

Seems to me that there would certainly be a market for boarding houses, especially as the population ages. Me? I'd rather have a room and meals in a boarding house than be totally alone and without anybody at all for company. Kids grow up and leave home, one parent dies, the family home becomes too much for the other parent to keep up and hiring help too costly, kids ask the age-old question"What are we going to do about Mom/Dad?" because they live too far away to help. A good solution for all. Mom or Dad isn't alone, kids carry on with their lives knowing that if the parent gets sick, there's at least someone to let them know.

Maybe it's an idea whose time has come again. A good alternative to living alone, being uprooted and moved to be closer to their children (and leaving behind their friends and a place that's been home) or being parked in an assisted living facility.

Kaya, I like your set up a lot. And I love, love, love your back yard! How pleasant and serene.
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I think there are lots of us that this could work for Georgia;) I'm glad to know others would enjoy something like this. It isn't good to be alone, well, I can only speak for myself, but I see others feel the same. I can afford to live alone, but do I want to, I don't think so. I've grown accustomed to having noise around, people in and out of the kitchen, but the biggest benefit is you learn to get along and help each other out. It's great, even though I would prefer to live with folks my age.

Somehow people moved house closer together, and in abundance but people grew further apart, never know their neighbors. Some prefer it that way, but I have learned I don't think I will choose that if I have a choice;) Denise
 
I have 2 roomies. At one time, I had 4 besides hubby and myself (2 couples). We just told them we used the kitchen from 4pm to 5pm. The other couples worked out they would use it from 5 to 6pm, 6 to 7pm. And they shared the hallway bathroom. We all washed dishes as we cooked our meals, cleaned up after ourselves and left the kitchen ready for the next couple. We do the same now. But one roomie eats out at fast food (he is young), the other is manager of McD's and rarely cooks.

When we had the couples, sometimes we would all chip in and cook for all of us.

And..we have two refridgerators. :)
 
Denise, if you could find a way to get a big enough house, I bet there would be people beating down the door and offering bribes to share it!
 
I think the kitchen schedule is great Kaya, it should be that way here as well, the only problem could arise if someone's work-schedule didn't jive. But everything is workable I feel;) Also, we had a bbq here with all attending except 1, and it was fun, and so good for me to mingle.

There would always be difficulties, maybe a real, sour roomie or something, just not a good fit, you never know. There's a guy here I could not stand, I wanted to kill him. But now we do fine, I give him crap, and he dishes it right back, LOL! But I see the good things about him, like he is the cleanest of everyone in the kitchen, and he helps me keep it nice where the others don't give a dang. I don't know, the more we talk here, the more I realize finding some folks to go in together on a place would not be bad at all. I mean a rental maybe, or, who knows. We'd just have to all be smart and cover our bases etc.;) I'd like knowing there are others here. And the older I get, the better I like the idea;)
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
Denise, if you could find a way to get a big enough house, I bet there would be people beating down the door and offering bribes to share it!
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I think you are right Georgia. I'll bet there are lots of folks near me that would go for a "boarding" house type deal. I know there would be a lot more nay-sayers I'll bet. But that's ok, I don't need everyone to want to do it, just 4 or 5, or however many bedrooms and bathrooms, LOL!!
 
Right, there is a lot that would go into it. Some neighborhoods won't allow it, I know those exist here. I really want to move to our Oregon Coast after I am getting my SS. But I am also in line to get a job through a program called "supported employment" because I am low-income, and have our Oregon health plan insurance. My income could be pretty good if I am working, if I am not, I will have to rely on very, little SS, but I've researched and found I can survive on it if I had to. Sharing rent with others could benefit several people like me, but you are right, all the red-tape for sure, and, meeting the right people to room with;)
 
Actually, I will probably win the lottery, or maybe meet Mr. Wonderful, and sail off into the sunset, LOL! There I go dreaming again;)
 
My friend/exboss owned a house that was an old boarding house back in the early 1900s. She has recently lost everything-her business,her kids,her home. I noticed the other day that the bank took over her house and put it on the market. I know when she bought it,it had 6 bedrooms-now the listing says 5 bedrooms but maybe one doesn`t have a closet or something. Only one bathroom though-that must have been fun when it was a boarding house! Here is a pic of it-they only took a side pic so it`s hard to tell the size,but it`s huge. Really,really looks like what you think of when you hear "boarding house"!
 

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Oh thanks for the story, so sad to hear about her losing so much Mrs. R. What a neat, old place, it's just too bad the "old community" type place doesn't seem to be around much anymore. There was a time when neighbors/friends would pull together to help someone like her. Yes, there are so many of those houses, and buildings, just sitting empty. I'm gonna say this too though some won't like it, but I see tons of motorhomes in storage, most, year-round, but we have homeless people. Hell, if you aren't going to live in it, why not give someone a home, even temporary. Oh well, don't get me started. I just think people could care more about others, what a selfish world it's turning into:(
 
Mrs. Robinson...that house is sweet sweet sweet! Her heart must be broken to lose it. Gosh. There are so many people who are circling the financial drain. I get tired of working and working so hard, but I'm grateful that I still can and doubly grateful that even if I couldn't, I wouldn't be begging change on a street corner.

Denise, I think your idea is definitely a do-able thing whether you get a job or not. Heck, with a job, you might even have that elusive thing, "extra" money. Without a job, you'd have a roof over your head and friends to share it. Friends? Yeah. Finding the right people might not even be as difficult as you might think. Word of mouth is a good way to start...after you've researched the ins and outs of boarding house laws.

I think you should go for it.

Oh, and good luck with the job possibility. I've got my fingers crossed.

As for the lottery and Mr. Wonderful...wish in one hand, sh!t in the other and see which one gets full first:D
 
Kids, I know it's just the shank of the evening out West, but it's getting on toward 10 here, and I've gotta haul my skinny self off to bed. Tomorrow's client will be looking for me at the crack of dawn...well, 8 am.

Denise, while I'm sleeping, I hope you're researching and, as my daddy used to say, hatching a plot!
 
Well,sadly she has lost everything due to alcoholism. That`s why she has lost her kids as well. Less than four years ago,I went to work for her and she was earning over $600,000 a year! But she started drinking heavily and then just went totally out of control. She has been arrested more than numerous times in the past year and is just a mess. She has walked out of rehab many times. All of her vehicles have been taken as well. Hubby was just now telling me that she just posted on FB that she was on the city bus and her best friend-who has semi stood by her through everything,responded "This is the life you have chosen for yourself,Jen." It`s very sad but there is nothing anyone can do.
 
Hi HFL, is that the link there, or is the innkeepers another link? I may not have gotten it, I can't remember seeing one about innkeepers, would love to have it. You are right, I have time that's for sure, so I do try to research as much as I can now, this year is going way fast already! Thank you much, I will look at the link that is there already!! hugs, Denise
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
Kids, I know it's just the shank of the evening out West, but it's getting on toward 10 here, and I've gotta haul my skinny self off to bed. Tomorrow's client will be looking for me at the crack of dawn...well, 8 am.

Denise, while I'm sleeping, I hope you're researching and, as my daddy used to say, hatching a plot!
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Thank you Georgia, what a neat person you are;) I hope you sleep well!! I'm always coming up with some, big idea, LOL!! Something might even work out, stranger things have happened;) See you tomorrow, Denise!!
 
There is an online place called Caretaker Gazette. It lists all jobs that involve caretaking.
But, it is 40 bucks a year.

Meanwhile...what about front desk clerk, Denise? You are very energetic and friendly..perfect as a motel clerk. And some motels might even offer housing for such a person as yourself. You know pc's, and learning the software to book guests is pretty easy once you are trained. AND, they prefer to train because someone not familiar with their policies and how they do things is fresh to them..they train them THEIR way.

Or...manage an apartment complex. There are management companies in your town...call them and as if they are looking for an ON SITE manager.
 
Haha-I was laughing when I was reading the occupancy limits for Meridian,Idaho. They allow 10 unrelated people to live in one dwelling there and I know why. My son and son in law went to Lineman School there. The college is pretty much the town`s #1 moneymaker. The boys (young men) who go to the school rent places and fit as many as possible into one dwelling. School only lasts for a little less than four months,then a whole new group comes in. Obviously,people in the town have gotten the rules relaxed to allow them to rent to the lineman students at affordable prices.
 
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