The Great Roommate Debate

By, Nicole Crimaldi

To live alone or not to live alone: that is the question.

For those of you who are like me and spent all four years of college living with roommates (and perhaps the first few years after), you may be getting to the point in your life where you are ready for something new: living alone.

I just signed my first independent lease yesterday and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to live alone. Yes, it is extremely expensive. Yes, my play money is going to be significantly reduced. And yes, there are times when I may be bored by myself.

Yet on the other hand, the positives seem endless! For example, no apologizing about my puppy crying, shedding or having accidents; no having to deal with roommates boyfriends being over all the time, no roommates who don’t pay bills, party too much, or always want to be together. No awkwardness, no fighting about stupid things, no terribly long stories that I don’t care to hear after a long day of work.

Sounds worth the extra money to me!

But a lot of people in their twenties don’t agree with me. Many prefer to live as cheaply as possible in their twenties: perhaps to save up for the purchase of their first home, to pad their savings account, or out of necessity of having that fun entry level salary.

“I make six figures but I just can’t justify throwing away so much money on rent. I like my roommates; we all do our own thing. I’d rather live as cheaply as possible so I’m not tied down financially,” says Matt, a 28 year old who lives with four other roommates on Chicago’s north side.

Well, guys like Matt may struggle when it comes to dating. My closest girlfriends and I were talking about this topic recently when two of my girlfriends revealed that they strongly prefer to date guys who live alone. They feel it shows financial responsibility, independence and growth since the college fraternity house days.

What living arrangement do you think makes the most sense in your twenties? Please share your thoughts!