Is it Really Time for a Roommate?
I plan on flying solo for the rest of my life. No, not in a plane, but I don’t plan on getting married or having a partner or any of that. There’s something I noticed about that recently, though. It’s hard to do that nowadays. Tax deductions for the married, multi-car and multi-driver discounts, and living off of two incomes are all incredibly appealing for a single gal who’s lived on her own for almost 4 years.
Then, one of my buddies started talking about getting out of her parents’ house. She loves her parents, but everything else is her life is 2 hours away from her, out near where I currently reside. Then, we started talking about her moving into the spare room in my apartment. Wait a minute. Why would I give up my freedom of living alone to have someone move in and share my space?
The big reason? To be honest, it’s because of the budgeting. With the cost of living going up everywhere, it’s just gotten a lot harder to live alone than it used to be. I feel like a hypocrite sometimes because I don’t have that emergency account that I beg all of you to have. Living with a roommate would finally make that a possibility as opposed to an idealistic dream. Splitting bills in half? Splitting the rent in half? I would be saving a lot of money every month just by having a buddy live with me.
Now, if you’re considering a roommate, think about a few things before you sign that contract.
- Are the two of you compatible? I lived with one of my roommates for a couple of months… then I basically lived at a friend’s apartment for the next year. Oops. She was a partier; I went to bed early; she was loud and angry, I, well, I guess I was too. We were too alike to get along as roommates, to be honest. So, if you have someone in mind, make sure you could imagine living with them for at least a year.
- Are they reliable? Will they help you pay bills on time? How about splitting the grocery bill? Can you depend on them to help you with the housework? Most divorces happen over things that have to deal with money; I’d imagine most roommate issues do too.
- Are you agreeable? I am not always the most agreeable person, and I’d imagine you may be the same way. But if you’re downright grumpy, unpleasant, or demanding, you may not be a good fit as a roommate yourself. Check your own attitude first; rooming with someone is about give and take.
So, I ask you, person who is living alone, is it time for you to consider a roommate? Would it help you financially without harming your relationship with your potential roommate? Think about it a bit, and until tomorrow, spend smart, save smart!
