Living alone or living with a roomate

[blue27]

the building I live has been sold and everyone has to more out..urgh!
I had planned on staying here for a while, I don't really have a choice here..I want to move to another area of the city (i live in chicago) but the rent in some of the nicer areas are expensive, I don't think i can afford it on my own..is it worth it to move somewhere you can't afford and get roomates or stay in area that is comfortable but you feel bored in?

[NoWomanNoCry]

It all depends on how you feel about living with other people. Do you know someone you could room with, or would you be meeting a random stranger? I personally don't mind having a roommate, but that's because she's almost always at her boyfriends place and it's like living by myself :)

[blue27]

It all depends on how you feel about living with other people. Do you know someone you could room with, or would you be meeting a random stranger? I personally don't mind having a roommate, but that's because she's almost always at her boyfriends place and it's like living by myself :)

see that's my problem I had roomates in college but it truely sucked, but it would be great if I could find someone who was never home, clean and pleasant..but I am worried that I will end it some crazy alcoholic, party animal person.. who is going to make me feel like I am college all over again.. and I am kinda laid back, not super clean, but not a pig pen either..urgh.. what to do..

[Chameleon]

Signing a lease in the expensive neighborhood means you'd be locked in for 6-12 months AND you have to find compatible roommates and pay for the place until you find someone, signing a lease in the cheaper neighborhood means you'd be locked in again to a lease and you might not like living by yourself.

You could try finding a room for rent in the trendier neighborhood for a few months and see if that setup works for you. After that experiment, you can decide if you want to be one of the people on the lease in a more expensive area or if you prefer staying alone in the less desirable location.

Personally, I love living alone (I'm messy, not disgusting, but not anal, and a really light sleeper and I love that I can have peace and quiet when I want to). I current live further out from town than I've lived in the past but it still is a 15 minute drive from downtown (it could be less than 10 if the highway wasn't always a parking lot). You can still go to the fun even if you don't live right by it :)

[Ciderhillnh]

Some places are month to month....makes it a bit easier if you find you're livign with someone you cant stand.

But the best way to live with someone you can stand, is to ask many questions and be honest about what you're looking for and desire from another person in a living situation.

I have had horrid roommates, but Ive also had some good ones, and we've become friends....I always try to look at the positive side...meet new people, new things to do etc.

Since I moved out of my parents house, Ive only lived with strangers, never had a friend looking at the same time as me or same area or price range, so Ive had to look to live with strangers.

Good luck!

[wordsmith]

the building I live has been sold and everyone has to more out..urgh!
I had planned on staying here for a while, I don't really have a choice here..I want to move to another area of the city (i live in chicago) but the rent in some of the nicer areas are expensive, I don't think i can afford it on my own..is it worth it to move somewhere you can't afford and get roomates or stay in area that is comfortable but you feel bored in?

Bear in mind that if you live in X neighborhood (because it's where you can afford, etc., for whatever reasons), there's nothing saying that you're dependent upon that area for all your socialization, etc. If you're comfortable but bored in your neighborhood, why not just go out in some other part of the city that's more to your liking, if not as personally affordable? Where I can afford to live is the criteria that trumps all, for me.

[and1grad]

I'd never live anywhere I couldnt afford on my own.

[Butter Face]

is it worth it to move somewhere you can't afford and get roomates or stay in area that is comfortable but you feel bored in?

Common sense should tell you that if you can't afford to live in a place, you shouldn't move there. I've always used the "Rent equals one-fourth of what your monthly income is" standard, and while it varies from person to person, it's a good place to start. As for the dilemma of deciding if it's worth it to move to an expensive area and have roommates or not, I guess it depends on what you want out of your living situation. If you're like me and need to come home to a quiet, controlled home every night - i.e., no risk of unpleasant houseguests or suspicious things left in your bathroom - it's probably better to forego the shared household and look for an affordable studio. But if you're all right with taking a small leap of faith if it means living in a pricier neighborhood, sign up with one of the apartment-hunting sites and ask a ton of questions, even seemingly trivial ones like "How old are you?" when the time comes to find potential housemates.

[teeny]

i love living with roommates- you just have to make sure you're picking people you think you can relate to and are on the same page. I've had a couple of bad stories, but other than that, i've made a ton of friends with roommates and their friends. Personally, while i love my own space, i'm young and love living in a fun, young area. I'd never be able to live in nyc w/o roommates (i have 3 currently). Plus, Im the type to isolate myself when i'm alone, so having roommates that have become friends forces me to be social.
I do want to eventually live on my own, but I don't feel the need for at least a couple more years.

[blue27]

I love living alone too, i have been living alone for over 6 years.. that's great.. but sometimes it would be nice to have someone around.. and then the bonus of living somewhere different would be nice to..but more then anything I need to be able to afford where i live...and not have a panic attack with the idea of dealing with the crazy people on the other side of the door, I think if I was younger maybe.. but I have lived by myself so long I don't know.. is there anyone who decided to get a roomate a 27 or older.. I think if i was 21 I could deal with it, but it seems as I get older I become less tolerate..maybe I should find a cheap area and get a pet lol..

[yueyao wang]

I get along very well with my roommates in college,though we have different interests.Usually we have a talk till deep night every day! Yes,we
call it bedtalking ,I think it's just to have a try,maybe you will find the
happyness of having a roommate.

[tommyboy]

there's advantages and disadvantages to both, just have to go with what you prefer more

- Alone advantages: quiet, private, don't have to clean 24/7, can bring dates/significant other over without worry, furnish the place how you want,

- disadvantages: lonely at times, can become antisocial, expensive. I've lived alone for 8 months now and it's getting old.


- Roommates: people to hang with, split costs by 1/2, stay social and meet lots of people (sometimes)

disadvantage: dirty roommates suck, conflicts with chores/bills, roommate can ditch you, other people eat your food and never contribute

[Jman06]

I think it is better to have a roommate and live in the better area.

I moved to wrigleyville in chicago from indiana and found a roomie through craigslist. We pretty much looked at eacothers myspace and facebook profiles and decided if we would be a fit through that. WE also talked and met up. It ended up working out pretty good. I figured if it was a college grad who could land a job in chicago he has to be a decent person. Its nice to have someone around that is in the same situation as me and it saves me a lot of money each month. You can also go out together and share each others friends or social network. Of couse I think men seem to have fewer problems getting along than women. Just my opinion.