Being a landlord is no joke.

Especially when you are in a partnership. Partner rented to a couple (below the rate we agreed upon) that I thought was sketchy at best. They even had a cat. Um, I helped install the hardwood floors so, I seriously had a vested interest.

Apparently the cat was the best tenant of the bunch. Somehow this group broke the toilet. Like broken the porcelain bowl . . . I have no idea how that happened and I do not want to speculate but, let's just say that it took a special talent.

When you leave a rented unit, clean. I will charge a cleaning fee. When this group moved in, I provided a laminated list of appropriate cleaners and even gave care instructions for the floors. Too bad that nothing was cleaned. The tub was stopped up and black (it was a new, white tub). It was so dirty that it was black. The people lived in the unit for less than a year. There was a broken bedroom door . . . The oven was never cleaned . . . the floors were so bad, I wore shoe covers . . . and they had the nerve to ask for all of the deposit. If a full deposit is to be returned, the unit must be left in good condition.

In other news, the recession is great for food discounts. I have inexpensive lunches 3-4 days per week. It's great. For a bit, I was spending $15-20 per lunch and that is too much for lunch. With all of the deals, I am below $10 per day (sometimes below $5).

Happy Summer,
Frugal JD