Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Paying for meals

[Kay Argyle (kay.argyle]

After trying various methods of collecting payment for meals, the system we
found most convenient is meal cards, good for twenty meals, in denominations
for the different meal prices (adult and two tiers of kids).  These somewhat
resemble the lunch cards I remember from elementary school - no coincidence,
since the resident who instituted the system is a retired school teacher.  

Once people are sitting down eating, a cook pulls out the cards and dates
squares on each household's cards corresponding to the diners from that
household.  If a card is full, the cook marks the meal on the back of the
full card and drops a laminated reminder card in the household's internal
mail folder. The household gives a check to the dining club treasurer, and
the treasurer issues a new card, marking off squares if the household went
over on their previous card.

The only problems have been the treasurer occasionally having to issue a
general plea for everyone to pay up, because the account was getting low,
and one or two cards that have gone missing for some reason - the kitchen
bulletin board, while convenient, is not secure.  Oh, and people blithely
forgetting that the money is obligated for prepaid meals and proposing that,
since the dining account has some money, it should help subsidize some
community event.

Kay
Wasatch Commons
SLC