On average, middle-income families direct 30 percent of their kid-related expenses toward housing, according the 2013 U.S. Department of Agriculture Expenditures on Children by Families Report. The housing costs are twice as much what middle-income families spend on food and transportation for their children.

The USDA factored in the cost of additional bedrooms for kids to come up with the housing figure and assumed that in a two-child household, each kid would have his or her own bedroom.

But one way to save money in a multi-kid household is to have siblings share rooms. Bedroom-sharing is fairly common in highly populated cities with expensive real estate. But room-sharing — especially with boy/girl sibling sets — is less common in areas with larger homes and cheaper real estate.

Still, even if you’re not going to pay a million bucks for an uptown apartment, having your kids share rooms — at least while they’re young — can cut back on your overall real estate expenses. For many families, room-sharing could mean sticking with that tiny starter home for a few more years, which could serve the family’s long-term bottom line.

Bedroom-sharing can have other benefits, as well. Young children tend to experience separation anxiety and often prefer to share space with others. Some families even find their kids magically stay in bed the whole night when allowed to room-share — or even bed-share — with siblings.

[Read: 12 Ways to Save Money at Home.]

But bedroom-sharing does present some issues of its own. Here are some tips on how to make it work:

1. Pay attention to your kids.

This one seems like a no-brainer, but it’s actually really important. Parents tend to brush off their kids’ seemingly petty complaints about sharing a space with siblings. But if you’re going to have your kids share a room into elementary school years, you’ll have to take even seemingly small complaints seriously.

Often, there’s a bigger issue behind the whines that does need to be addressed. This is particularly important when it comes to different gender siblings sharing a room — as you should pay attention to subtle signals from your kids when they’re ready for some privacy from opposite-gender siblings.

2. Give them autonomy.

One of the best ways to help kids feel comfortable in their shared space is to give each some autonomy when it comes to decoration.

For instance, some siblings might prefer to sleep in bunk beds on one side of the room, so that the opposite side can be available for playing. Others might prefer to divide the room in half, with a bed or loft on each side of the room so that each sibling has a bit of personal space.

You can even get creative with paint colors. Let each sibling pick a complementary color for a wall, or divide the room in half with two colors for fun. Can’t paint? Let each child decorate a dresser or even a large bulletin board to allow for some personalization.

[Read: Ready to Redecorate? 7 Ways to Save on Paint.]

3. Stay organized.

Squishing multiple kids into a room that likely has only one closet calls for some serious organizational skills. You may need to divide the closet in half. Or, if it’s small, buy a standing armoire for free-standing closet space.

If your kids’ room is for playing as well as sleeping, think about how to organize the toys and books. If possible, devote one wall to toy organization with a floor-to-ceiling unit. Ikea has some great, modular options. Or you could just buy shelves and brackets to hang your own custom shelving. The key is to use as much vertical space as possible, so you maximize the bedroom storage.

4. Create personal space.

Pinterest is teeming with custom bunk bed ideas. Many are built-in, which will save some floor space. And you can outfit them with curtains that can be drawn for private space. These are great options for older kids, who will want some privacy, even if they’re happy to share a room most of the time.

Another option is to divide the room in half with screens or curtains, or use a divider to screen off a corner where kids can go for some private, quiet time. The goal is to turn part of the bedroom into a mini refuge where kids can take a break from siblings.

5. Use modular lighting.

Floor and table lamps can divide a room for older kids. Bunk beds can easily be outfitted with personal clip-on lamps that let kids read awhile longer without disturbing their bunkmates. If the room is large enough, you may even want to place a floor lamp in a corner by the books and toys, so that the overhead light doesn’t have to be used all the time. Again, this allows for siblings to use the room for different purposes at the same time.

6. Talk about it.

Room-sharing is an ideal way for kids to learn the importance of respecting others’ space and needs. From the time your children are toddlers, use the room-sharing experience to talk about how to respect others. For instance, even small kids can learn to (try) to be quiet in the mornings if a sibling is still sleeping in their room. Bigger kids can learn that some spaces, toys or books are off-limits, even if the bedroom is shared space.

[See: Cheap Home Repairs That Could Save You Thousands.]

Room-sharing is a great way to teach kids life skills and save money. And even a small space can become shareable if you set it up right.

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6 Ways to Make Bedroom-Sharing Possible originally appeared on usnews.com