Ok so I have decided that I have to serioulsy reduce my living costs. i'm serioulsy thinking of moving out my apartment and finding a roomate situation. I would be in this arrangement for may 4-5 months.....
I would then move out and go back into living by myself- but then I would have some money saved.
For those of you who have had a roomate how did you find them?
Honestly, after having my own place without roommates, I'd do whatever I had to to avoid having roommates again. There's no comparing the freedom of having an apartment to yourself. Have you done the math to figure out just how much money you'd save in 4-5 months? If the cost of rents is high (as in my area), then yes you could save quite a bit of money by having a roommate. But, if you're in an area that has relatively low cost of living I'd reconsider. Can you take a second job, if you need it? Maybe retail in the evening a few nights a week?
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"I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn't itch." - G. Radner
i have 3 roommates- found them on craigslist. They're some of my closest friends now. Everyone in nyc has a roommate i feel like- i lived with a married couple even when i first came to the city. So while i would like to one day have my own place, i don't think its *that* big of a deal and I prefer it for certain reasons (companionship, sharing utilities costs, borrowing clothes, etc.) My recommendation is to move with a roommate for 6 months-1 year or longer. Unless you hate the person and have to find a different roommate. I think that's an AWFUL lot of trouble to move for just 4-5 months, and then find another place. The amt. saved during that time could easily be made selling on ebay, waitressing in the evenings, etc. I think lowering your cost of living is more of an ongoing thing and if you plan on going right back to the same situation, it seems like too much work. If you live in a high demand area, you could sublet your place, keeping a lot of your big things there (furniture, etc.), and then move to another sublet situation to cut down costs and you wouldn't have to move as much stuff. That could save you the heartache of trying to locate another good place once your time is up- its really hard to find apts in nyc and almost everyone holds onto theres if they can.
But since you asked: I found one roomate sitch on a random bulletin board (like at a laundrymat maybe?) and the other was a coworker who needed a roomy.
I would check bulletin boards/newspapers around colleges and definitely Craigslist.
When I had roommtes, I was already friends with one girl who had a house and needed roommates to live with her. She met one other girl through a class and that girl got her other friend to live with us, too.
So I guess my suggestion is to ask around to see if any of your friends/aquaintances need a roommate. But if you're already friends, think hard about it. If I had to get a roommate now, it would have to be one of my very best and oldest friends. If I'm just good friends with someone, I think it would hard to approach someone if you're angry about the dishes in the sink or you might feel like you guys have to hang out 24/7. Someone you only kind of know is easier to ignore when you need to.
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Fashion is art you live your life in. - Devil Wears Prada | formerly ttara123
If it was only 4-5 months I'd almost think you'd be losing money! You'd be getting a bigger place right? So your living costs wouldn't be reduced a whole lot. Besides that is moving costs and deposits which most times you never get back.
And isn't most leases 6-12 months? Plus you have to worry if your roomate will pay their share of rent and electricity.
I don't like living alone and I move a lot, so I've had a number of different roommates. I've had three different roommates for a year a piece who I had never met before moving in with them -- and it has always been totally fine. I lived for another year with two friends -- one of whom I became extremely close to and the other of whom I ended up hating. I've also lived with a close friend for a year -- and it was great. So, on the whole, I've had really positive roommate experiences. I think that the most foolproof situation is to live someone who you can get along with but who isn't necessarily a friend. I would look on craigslist, listserves you might be on and through mutual acquaintances. It does seem worth it to do at least 6-12 months, though.
I've decided to just get my shopping and unnecessary spending under control.........So there will be no moving out with a roomate, or anyone coming to stay with me........