If you are unmarried or probably just staying somewhere for a short time then an easy way to save money would be by finding a room-mate who will pay half of the rent. You could also save more cash if the two of you buy the stuff you use together [like groceries, for example]. Since you'd be buying in bulk, that's more money that you'll save. Unfortunately though it's hard to find a room-mate you'll like or someone who is as Thrifty as you. Would any of you consider living with some stranger to save some cash, even if it's just half the rent?
I have done and some have turned out to be good friends and others were fine for a short while. These days you can vet people and use your intuition. You save money on bills as there is little difference between one person and two people. I never shared groceries, things like pepper, oil and toilet rolls were shared, but sometimes you need to keep things separate. You need to define boundaries at times as sahring personal space can be difficult enough, you can always relax things later.
I have lived with roommates before. It was fine. You get along with some more than others. I was younger and didn't make enough to live on my own in an expensive city. Now that I'm older I don't think I'd want to go back to living with roommates unless I really needed the money.
Sometime ago, I lived with 5 other guys on an apartment. We were newly hired and needed to save money as much as we can. It was OK, I guess. We were kinda messy at times though. When the mess bothered us, we all helped clean the room together. Now, I am living alone. Living with room mates are fine with me, but now I value privacy.
I'd never live with a stranger to save cash. I had a hard time living with people in college... always preferred to be alone. My husband, on the other hand, went to roommates.com the year before we got married and ended up in a perfectly acceptable living situation with two strangers. And it did save him a lot of money. I will say we pushed our wedding date up to be as quick as possible so we could just move in together instead of paying double rent. It is a travesty that when I was a full time public school teacher, my salary wasn't enough to cover the cost of living in my state if I had lived alone.
I personally don't like the idea that much but if it were really that necessary then I think I could deal with it. I'd probably spend a lot more time screening potential roommates than most others would though, since I'm really particular about my surroundings and definitely a lot more about the people I'll be sharing it with.
I lived with roommates until I got married at the age of 26. Yes, it saved me a lot of money in the long run. However, for some people, the stress of having to deal with a room mate is just NOT worth the extra money. My last room mate situation was pretty good - I actually lived in a very nice house for only 200 bucks a month, and I didn't have to pay any bills at all! I actually lived with an older lady (85 years old) and two other girls about my age. Sadly, she wad diagnosed with cancer right before I got married and died a few weeks before my wedding.
I can consider that, as long as the person is trustworthy and we get along. Although I would very much prefer a friend or an acquaintance to be on the safer side, since I have some "klepto" experiences with a few people that I know.
I will consider living with stranger because the rental is expensive in my country. I can save a lot and can have someone to talk to in order to reduce my boredom and loneliness. I am lucky enough to live with my family members and save my troubles to live with strangers. Therefore, I have never lived with any strangers and am not sure how the things will go if I have to some day.
I have no problem whatsoever living with a total stranger provided that the persona in question abides by the rules I set. Of course, they're not the sort of rules that benefit only a single person. If the potential roommate signs the agreement (and I certainly will draft one a la Sheldon when he first met Leonard in Big Bang Theory), then he too will be protected by the agreement. I'm talking about simple things like zero noise barrage except when there's consent from the other person; no bringing of non-relatives (particularly lovers) and turning our room into a nest; where my territory ends and hers begins.
I never thought Id ever look for a roommate--I imagined all the things that could go wrong. But when I moved out of state I had to find one. I looked on Craigslist both times and the experiences were fairly pleasant. Decent people. I feel like I am a great roommate because I stay in my room and stay out of the way. I can never relax and act like it's my home, which is why I don't think I would ever seek out roommates again. I have a house and I can't imagine getting a roommate. Collecting money for half the rent would be nice, but I don't like the idea of having to be aware of someone else and accommodating their habits in my own home.
I always favored living with roommates over living alone. I usually lived with people that I have known for years so I never had a really bad experience. The only time that I had a semi-unfavorable experience was when I lived with these people who spoke mostly Spanish (where I speak mostly English) and I would catch them talking about me from time to time. Besides that, my experience with roommates have been really fun.
I had roommates during college and it was okay, but I've heard horror stories. I know a young homeless guy who became homeless because his roommate left without paying their half of the rent. Roommates can be great for saving money on living expenses but they can also leave you in a bad situation, so be careful who you room with.
I have done it several times, and it worked out quite well. I have shared my apartment with people who were desperate to save cash. Since I am a vegetarian and holistic type, I made sure that my room mates had the same inclination, which made it easier with the food sharing. I don't know if I have been exceptionally lucky or not, but I have met some really great individuals in this way.
Truthfully, every human you've met in life was once a stranger, and through repetition of acquainting with them, you develop a relationship - whether it be beneficial or not. I for one can adjust easily living with a stranger who does benefit my welfare, otherwise, if he/she doesn't help me out in some form or way, I will not get along with her/her. Room-mates are fine, because he/she will have to contract to pay something to live with me first and then agree to doing some other non-monetary actions/inactions he/she and I will plan and agree.
