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Originally Posted by maleficent
Staying with friends and relatives? UGH! Not in a million years... you want to preserve a friendship - don't mooch -- stay at a hotel. The money you save costs you a lot more in the long run.
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I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I have a good relationship with my friends and relatives and I consider myself a very good houseguest. I don't have any problem putting up friends or relatives in my house either. In fact, I would take it as a slight if someone came to visit with us and stayed in a hotel nearby instead of in our home. If we have the room, you are welcome to stay. I wouldn't want to stay in a crappy hotel for $80/night just for a bed and a shower. I would rather stay with a friend and take them out for a nice dinner for $60. We would have more time to visit together and catch up on each other's lives and I would still come out ahead financially. To me, it is all about reciprocation. I wouldn't stay with someone without taking them out to dinner, or showing up with a gift for their house, or making them a nice meal in their home. Something to show my appreciation for the hospitality. I think that our society has gotten too far away from the values of interpersonal relationships. "Preserving a friendship" to me is not about avoiding spending time together by staying in an impersonal hotel.
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Originally Posted by maleficent
BTW -- imagine what you did to your mother's budget. Your meals weren't free -- She paid for them. She doubled her food budget for the week, not exactly frugal
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BTW, the meals were free. She didn't double her food budget. I'll tell you why. My mom is a managing resident partner at a resort home. The place was rented out the week before we were there by a group of Texas oil men who entertained some guests and talked business... and left a bunch of unopened food behind when they departed. Pretty much every meal we ate at home that week was from the stocks of what the previous guests left behind. I will be the first to admit that my situation here is very unique. Most people don't have that kind of luxury, and if you are staying with someone for more than a day or two, you should definitely buy some groceries and offer to cook a meal for everyone. While I was there at my mom's place, we bought some groceries too and took her and her husband out to dinner twice as a thank you for letting us stay there.
Plus you have to remember that my mom is the queen of frugality. She taught me most everything I know. And we are very open and conversant about finances. She didn't spend anything extra on having us out for the week. No, wait... She did buy me lunch one day. So, my mom spent $6 on having me out for the week.
