So, here you are in all your budgeting glory getting your adulting on but you realize there is still room to save more money to put towards your financial goals. Typically you would think this is a easy fix, save the money and do what you have to do, right? Yes, until you realize what you would have to give up to save that money… YOUR SPACE!
This is my current dilemma, do I want a roommate or not. Here I am in a place where I am saving more money because I have paid something’s off but I am like hmmm, I can save more. Rent is sky rocketing every where, in Nashville cost of living went up 54.1% from 2000 to 2015. At this point I am considering getting a roommate because I can save some extra money, right? Yeah but is what I am going to save worth it. Is what I have to give up worth not saving that money? I know those questions seem the same but they are actually very different questions from very different angles.
In order to get a roommate, I would need to move into a bigger apartment within my complex because it would cost me a ton to break my lease. Here is the math:
Bigger apartment – $150 more per month
Addition of internet services – $60 per month
Total savings after roommate – $455
Yearly savings – $5,460
Per check – $227.5
Looking at the numbers alone, I am not sure if this is worth giving up my personal space, solitude, nudity and in some sorts independence. My friends say no, my mother says think about the yearly amount, my father says maybe but give it a year only but my initial thought is no. With my initial thought being no, I start to wonder how much I want to reach my financial goals, that I am willing to lengthen the time it will take to reach them because I want some space, right now.
In the end the decision lies with yourself. No, you cannot put a price on your space and solitude but how bad and how fast do you want to get to your goals? Are you willing to prolong it and coast or are you going to apply pressure and knock it out?
The answer is within you as my answer is within myself. I will let you know how it goes.
