If you’re searching for a new apartment and are looking for ways to save money, a roommate is one of your best options. Nothing is going to be more cost effective than cutting your monthly rent in half! Americans spend so much time at work that it’s no surprise when some of your coworkers become your closest friends. But living with another person can be tricky. Is living with a coworker a good idea? Let’s weigh some of the pros and cons.
Pro: Carpooling
The greatest part about living with a coworker is that you’re both going to the same place every morning, so you can save on gas by carpooling. You could drive for one week, while he or she drives the next cycle. Create a chart deciding whose turn it is to drive, or if one of you doesn’t have a car, set up a fair amount of payment that the car owner should receive for gas and maintenance.
Con: Lack of Space
Make sure you really know and like this person before moving in with him or her, because you’ll be seeing each other morning, afternoon and night. So if you know this potential roommate is someone that you can only take in small doses, moving in together probably isn’t the smartest decision. Plus, if you two move in together and it doesn’t work out, you still have to see that person at work the next day. Awkward.
Pro: Responsible Roomie
There is certainly no guarantee that your coworker roommate will clean and pull his or her own weight around the apartment. But it’s more likely that a coworker will be responsible than a random person you find online. The fact that he or she has a job and can be counted on at work is a good sign that the same can be done around the apartment.
Con: Office Gossip
You may work with someone that your coworker roommate can’t stand or vise versa. This can get difficult if you vent to your roommate about a bad day at work, and that gets back to people at the office. It’s best to keep work issues and personal issues separate to avoid potentially troubling situations.
Pro: Common Ground
You and your coworker definitely have a few things in common, which can make it easier to understand and get along with your roommate. If you work well as a team in the office, you could also make a great roomie team.
Con: Work Takes Over
Often, we’re you spend time with your coworkers outside of the office, you end up talking about work. Living with your coworker could mean you end up spending too much time talking about projects and office politics. No one wants work to completely take over their free time.
So, renters, what do you think? Should you consider living with a coworker?
