Communal and Multi-generational home ownership

I know it's not an option for everyone, but one of the seldom-addressed methods to live frugally is to live communally and share resources. For us, this meant selling our house and moving into a house that we bought with my mother and my mother-in-law. The house is much bigger than any we could ever buy on our own, obviously, but our mortgage payment actually went down. We get a lot of efficiencies out of it. When an appliance breaks, we only pay 1/2 - the moms pay their own fourths. Same with electricity, gas, etc. We all help each other - we have free childcare when we want to go out, they have our free services for DIY projects that they normally would not consider trying to do, and help with computer issues. During the pandemic, my husband and I do virtually all of the shopping, and the moms stay home and unexposed. We all take turns making dinner, doing cleanup, etc. We put together all of our resources and got rid of what we didn't need - now we all have one set of tools, one mower, one dining room table.

For many people, living with their in-laws would be a nightmare, and it requires a lot of preparatory discussion, the right mix of personalities, finding the right house to work with more people, and financial preparation. But it might be a possibility for more families that should be considered, is pretty common in some countries, and used to be more common in the U.S. It's a growing phenomenon in this country.

Communal living is also a possibility for strong long-term friends that should be considered more than it is. It makes a ton of sense for the right situation. Just thought it would be nice to give a mention, in case there are some people for whom this is an option that might work.