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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A man has been backed on Reddit for telling his brother's girlfriend to stop showering at his home.
With money tight, the man confronted his brother and the girlfriend about her spending over 30 minutes in the shower.
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In the post, Redditor u/LiaisonLiat explained: "I'm the one that pays the water and electric bills. I told her to go shower at her own house, I'm sick of footing the bill, and now my brothers p***** and not talking to me.
"She lives with her parents," wrote the poster about the showering girlfriend. "[She] could—and used to—shower there for free."
The Redditor explained that his brother lives with him and pays half of the rent but no utilities.
"I took him in to live with me as soon as he graduated away from my parents' house due to neglect and abuse," the man wrote. "The idea behind him living with me was for him to be able to save money so he could move out on his own.
"But then I got sick and I lost my job, and I can't afford what I used to be able to afford. Circumstances have changed in a way I didn't prepare for."
Energy prices have risen around the globe in recent months, and in August 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the biggest hike in electricity bill costs since 1981.
While prices did drop slightly toward the end of 2022, they were still more than 15 percent higher than at the end of 2021.
Rising wholesale costs of power and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine have forced prices to climb as the U.S. ban on Russian exports continues.
Attorney Andrew Lieb, author of 10 Strategies to Purchase Property Post-Pandemic: The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Investing, told Newsweek: "Girlfriends always cause problems when guys are living together. They move in and play house, but their boyfriend isn't the only one footing the bills at that house.
"Now, there are three people racking up utilities, but only the original roommates are sharing a 50:50 split on bills."
Understanding the man's concerns around paying for the long showers, more than 1,000 comments on Reddit backed him for telling the girlfriend to shower at home.
One Redditor suggested: "Start charging your brother for her showers," while one wrote: "A 5-minute shower is one thing, long thinking sessions are for where she pays bills. If brother is bothered, then he should cover to bill. If he is not that bothered, he can shut up."
Lieb said: "When situations change, financial arrangements must also change. There is nothing wrong with having that conversation and if you are the third-wheel, it is your job to speak up for yourself and talk to your roommate.
"Perhaps your roommate isn't conscious of how his situation is hurting you," Lieb added. "However, you should not address the situation with the girlfriend. That is not your place. Never cut off her showing privileges. That is overstepping, and doing this jeopardizes your roommate's relationship.
"Start the conversation now, before you are beyond the point of no return, where everyone hates each other. Adults address situations head on. It's time to grow-up," he added.
Newsweek reached out to u/LiaisonLiat for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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