My friend claims to be a conservative, yet lives in a commune, is this a conflict of interest?

No, how you personally live & use your OWN assets is a very Conservative value, While using the power of the Society to EXTORT assets from others is the Lefts.

How can either of you pay your own way - doesn't that sorta defeat the purpose? By definition a commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, work, and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become important core principles for many communes.

A private, voluntary and autonomous collective without any government assistance may be a very sensible form of conservative social ordering.

Daniel the Constitutional Peasant

Dennis: What I object to is you automatically treatin' me like an inferior.

Arthur: Well, I am king.

Dennis: Oh, king, eh? Very nice. And how'd you get that, then? By exploiting the workers! By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society! If there's ever going to be any progress--

Dennis: We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as sort-of-executive officer for the week--

Arthur: Yes.

Dennis: But all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting--

Arthur: Yes, I see.

Dennis: By a simple majority, in the case of purely internal affairs--

Arthur: [getting bored] Be quiet.

Dennis: But by a two thirds majority, in the case of more major--

Arthur: Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!

Dennis' Mother: Order, eh? Who does he think he is?

Arthur: I am your king!

Dennis' Mother: Well I didn't vote for you.

Arthur: You don't vote for kings!

Dennis' Mother: How'd you become king, then?

Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, [Angel chorus begins singing in background] her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water signifying by Divine Providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. [Angel chorus ends] That is why I am your king!

Dennis: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

Arthur: Be quiet!

Dennis: You can't expect to wield supreme power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!

Arthur: Shut up!

Dennis: I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!

Arthur: Shut up! Will you shut up?! [Grabs Dennis and shakes him]

Dennis: Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system!

Arthur: Shut up!

Dennis: Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

His choice, right? This is totally consistent with the conservative message...personal choice acountability for that choice.

Or is he blaming the government for his living situation? If so, then that would be inconsistent with the conservative message.