Multitudes of people are forced to essentially live paycheck to paycheck by the time they pay their rent or mortgage, car payments, communication bills, energy bills and other expenses we consider “necessities” in 2015.
One of the most common ways for people to reduce their expenses and feel like they’re finally “getting ahead” financially is to search for a roommate. This process, however, is often much easier said than done.
The traditional thinking is you should avoid living with close friends, because you never know how someone truly lives until, you know, you actually live with them, and this could adversely affect your relationship. Life is too short to lose close friends over petty disagreements when living together, but it happens all too often.
As well, some people may move to a new city for work or schooling purposes, and simply may not know anyone that they could potentially live with.
Consequently, people in search of a roommate are forced to take chances on “wild cards.” Sometimes the strangers you end up living with are a match made in heaven, and things couldn’t go any more smoothly. Other times things go poorly, and you quickly feel like a prisoner in your own home.
What are some tips, then, for finding roommates you can get along with well? For starters, you’ll want to find out as much information about people as possible, including their daily habits, to see if they gel with yours. Are they slobs? Do they stay up all night listening to loud music? Are they never home, leaving you to do things like take out the garbage and collect the mail?
Next, you’ll want to know how they handle money and paying bills. If you’re the type of person who pays bills on time, all the time, before they’re due, then it may drive you nuts or cause you financial anxiety if you have a roommate that keeps finding excuses for delaying their payments.
Cleanliness and money are the two big things to consider when living with roommates. Other things to care about include having enough space so you don’t feel like they’re always in your space, bothering you, as well as how well you agree on sharing stuff like foods in the fridge or furniture as needed.
Finally, here’s a thought that can help you find the right roommate(s)… do background checks. Seriously! Running a credit check or a criminal background check can save you a lot of headaches. Specialty Private Investigators (SPI) can help you find out things about potential roommates by doing a diligent data search. Hey, it can’t hurt. Call SPI at 412-650-8550 or email spiinc99@aol.com.