Living with Roommates

Congratulations! You got a new roommate! You are about to learn a lot about not only them, but yourself. Living with a roommate can be a blast, but it can also be stressful. Here are a few suggestions to make living with your roommate successful. 

Roommate Agreement

When watching the Big Bang Theory, we often laugh at Sheldon when he talks about the Roommate Contract with Leonard; however, when you think about it, it is a very smart idea! I am not saying that you need to write down a whole novel and a procedure for when aliens attack, but it is a great idea to have some rules or guidelines to follow. Here are few suggestions to get you started:

• Borrowing
• Having Guests Over
• Cleaning & Chores
• Food
• Quiet Time
• Pets
• Respecting Personal Space
• Payment

Finances

Everyone loves money, but we hate bringing it up in conversation. This is something that you cannot ignore and need to discuss before you move in together. You will need to set the standard on rent, bills, and utilities. It is important for everyone be on the same page with finances. Not every job pays the same and you want to make sure that finically your roommate can afford to live with you. Nowadays it is so easy to get payment. When the bill arrives, have them pay you their amount via PayPal or Venmo, or there is always cash, checks, etc. there should be no excuse when it comes to making payments. A great payment strategy will make living together a breeze.

Groceries

Did you know that groceries just do not appear in the fridge and pantry overnight? Well, now that you are out on your own you will! You now have to physically drive and shop to stock up your own inventory. Make sure that in the agreement with your roommate that you have discussed who is in charge of what or if everyone is fending for oneself. You will have shared/common spaces like the kitchen and the bathroom. Think about rotating who is buying the toilet paper and paper towels. You will also share the fridge. It is important to talk about food and respecting each other’s groceries.

Boundaries

This is something that is going to develop as you start living with them and realize their habits. Make sure that you are actively communicating with your roommate and that you are not letting minor issues turn into major resentments. Even though you are roommates, you are not required to hang out together all the time, but you should try to find a common time to hang out and get to know each other. You will come to learn that you may have more in common than you originally thought.