A Roommate Nation
When you were younger, you may have dreamed of the time when you turn 18 and go off to college. After college, you knew you’d have that perfect job and be able to move into your own apartment. Your place would have your rules and be as messy or as clean as you want it to be. Why? Because it would be YOUR place. No one else’s. Well…. Let’s re-evaluate that thought process. With the rising costs of homes and apartments, we are becoming a roommate nation.
What is a roommate nation you ask? Let me explain. You get your first job and you are ready to move out. The problem is, fresh out of college, there is every possibility that you have student loans. Starting a new job, your salary isn’t going to be that high. You most likely have a car payment as well. Depending on where you live, the cost of apartments and homes have become astronomical. I’m talking over $900 for a one bedroom apartment. Over $1000 for a two bedroom apartment.
Per Zillow, approximately 30% of those aged 23-65 have “doubled up” their households and live with a roommate. 30% in San Francisco!
Wage Needed Per State
Read this article from Business Insider to see how much you need to earn, per state, to afford a two bedroom apartment. Obviously, states such as New York, California, and Hawaii are the highest. I live in Pennsylvania and I don’t even make what they say we need, to afford a two-bedroom place. However, looking online at the cost of apartments, I think our number needs to be increased.
I am a single mom. So, I can’t even consider taking on a roommate right now. And, in all honesty? At 45, and divorced almost 14 years? I’m not sure I could tolerate a roommate!
However, please note! I am not writing this post as a discouragement for newly graduated college students. Are there perks to having a roommate? Absolutely!
Benefits to a roommate
- Bills are cut in half or more
- You can save money (Build up your emergency fund and save for retirement)
- Or you can have that extra money to go out with friends
- Instant partner to do things with. (Hopefully, you get along with one another!)
- Share the chores in keeping your place tidy
- You are not lonely
- The feeling of security, knowing that someone else is home with you
Can you survive on your own? Sure.
- Get in with a company that pays a higher salary.
- Have a second job, or having your own side hustle, to bring extra money in.
- Move to a state where the cost of living is lower, but companies do pay a more realistic salary
- The other option, while, less desirable, and hopefully, short-term, is living in a less desirable location, where the rent isn’t as high.
Those options are not, by any means, unrealistic. New Yorkers who work in Manhattan, travel the subway from the Bronx or Brooklyn, every day. Those locations have rents that are about 1/8 of what you’d pay in the city. Even with a roommate!
Side jobs are not a bad idea either. One of the great things about them is, you’re learning new skills.
There are ups and downs with having a roommate, but, if you get yourself a great roommate? The ups are certainly worth it! Check out this book “Room for Improvement. A Post-College Girl’s Guide to Roommate Living” from Amazon!
So, tell me. With this new age of sharing spaces, do you have a roommate? What is your experience? Comment below or share on my Facebook page!
If you or your roommate likes to read, stop by Amazon and check out my first book, Cavern Cove! It’s a paranormal mystery romance about teen witches coming into their powers, and a race against time to find the person trying to steal Nicole’s power before she becomes a coven leader!
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post. If you happen to purchase anything from those links, I will earn a small commission. There is no extra charge to you for this. So, don’t be afraid! Click on those links when you make a purchase in support of Flights of Fancy Mom :). I thank you in advance for your continued support of my blog.
