Down on my knees to pay MY bills, not yours

Big apologies for being so slow to update. Before posting the second half of my previous entry, I'd like to interrupt the broadcast with a special message.

I live with four dudes. This alone is a big point of contention in my life. On a good day, my roommates keep the heterosexist bullshit to a minimum and pay their bills on time. On a bad day, I go upstairs and cry about it. Today was a bad day.

The hot water stopped working this morning. Chilly and annoyed, I went downstairs to ask my roommate if his portion of the bill had been paid.

"Sorry dude," he said. "Funds are tight right now."

I don't know how many times we've had this conversation. This guy is nearing 30. He's been living on his own for some time now. Though I know financial difficulties are a recent development in his life, I don't see how this kind of irresponsibility is excusable when you live with four other people (all of whom are struggling to maintain a decent standard of living). I told him that we were all in this together; that he needed to keep up his end of the deal. His response?

"You've got money. Why don't you cover it in the meantime."

We're talking about someone who knows how I acquired this money. This would be an inappropriate response in any situation, but it becomes even less appropriate in this context. I'm down on my knees to cover my own ass, 'nuff said. I feel like I should have some articulate closing paragraph here, but I just can't wrap my mind around this attitude. It's one thing to lend a hand to a friend in need; it's an abomination when someone *expects* that the fruits of your labor will fall neatly onto their silver platter.