Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cost of living after move in

[Larry Miller (larry.miller]

On Nov 25th, Lisa wrote: "It seems like many costs could go down once in 
cohousing."
 
Our experience has been similar to that expressed by Sharon, i.e. it isn't 
possible to
generalize. Even within the same community, different people may have different 
experiences. At
Oak Creek Commons, there have been some obvious savings in our homeowner dues 
because members do
much of the maintenance work. Our dues average around $210 per month. We also 
save about $30 per
month because we have a bulk cable agreement for TV and Internet. Pet and baby 
sitting by
neighbors have benefited some.

While there are actual financial benefits, it would probably be overly 
optimistic to say that
the cost of living in cohousing is significantly lower than in a similar 
condominium complex.
There really is a lot of work associated with bulk purchasing, ride sharing, 
etc. and the
reality is that there is only so much time and energy available. As far as 
entertainment, while
there is "free" entertainment within the community, there is also considerable 
going out in
groups to plays or movies. No one should move into cohousing with the 
expectation that you will
actually spend less. You may be seriously disappointed.

Larry Miller
Oak Creek Commons