Turns out, people in their early 30s havewaymore of their life figured out than people like me, in their early 20s. Although my roommate and I are good friends, and became so after I moved in, I’ve recently begun to realize just how much I’m saving by living with her.
Keep in mind that, while I do save in the most literal, monetary sense, there are some savings that are most valuable to my overall peace of mind and well-being. Basically, some “saves” are just priceless.
Below is a breakdown of how much I save by sharing a living space with my young — yet mature — roommate.
1. Fully Furnished Common Spaces:$500+
两年多前，当我第一次搬到西海岸时，我不确定我是否想在全国范围内生活了几年多。因此，我搬进了一个带有多个室友和设备齐全的公共区域的大型联排别墅，只购买了自己的床，桌子和椅子。
However, when I moved in with my roommate earlier this year, I found that my entire living space was an upgrade—I now only had to share the common area with one other person and my roommate’s furniture, kitchen equipment, etc. was far superior to what I was sharing with six other 20-somethings in our townhome.
2. Access to Multiple Subscription Services:$50/Month
此外，我的室友有多种订阅服务，从亚马逊Prime到Hulu到HBO Max。尽管她与年长的兄弟姐妹或朋友分享了很多，但我还是能够从与她同住的同时从这些订阅中受益。我最初搬进来时没想到的振兴！
3. Home Workout Equipment:$50
While I also purchased home workout equipment of my own during the pandemic, my roommate obtained a full set of dumbbells—a truly invaluable resource, given how difficult weights have been to find!—as well as other items like quality yoga pillows which I’ve now come to use. Possessing a larger quantity of workout equipment has allowed me to add more variety to my workout routine and explore workouts I typically wouldn’t gravitate towards, like yoga, which has been invaluable for my mental health these past few months.
4.香料：$50
My roommate is an avid cook and her spice cabinet is thorough, which I appreciate. Spices aren’t cheap and while I plan to fully restock any spices I wind up finishing, I’ve nevertheless been grateful to have access to a larger quantity of spices that I’d imagined. As someone who is quite money-conscious, I rarely buy spices that I’d use for just one recipe, like za’atar, but my roommate sees these as investments into her health and happiness. As such, I’ve really come to appreciate cooking and glean joy from it, unlike before, and I attribute this change to my roommate’s influence. While I certainly save money from having access to her spice cabinet, I’ve also broadened my own appreciation of the culinary arts, in the process.
5. Stability/Reliability (re: Rent):Invaluable
Another benefit of having an older roommate is the stability and reliability that comes with regular rent payments and a steady paycheck. When I lived with multiple 20-somethings, there was always a roommate or two who inevitably needed to move out before the lease term ended, leaving the state of the lease in chaos. Moreover, given how rapidly people switched careers or decided to move across the country, I constantly had new roommates. With my current setup, however, I can rely on my roommate to remain in town, given that she’s wedded to her career, at present, and is no longer changing industries as she might have in her 20s. This mental clarity and ease is absolutely invaluable, IMO.
6. Less Drama / “Random” Guests:Invaluable
Another benefit? I no longer have to deal with unexpected guests, late night drunk drama, or other inconveniences that plague the lifestyle of 20-somethings sharing a home together. While there’s a time and place for the type of house parties I attended in my early twenties, and the efforts made to be a quiet roommate returning to the apartment at 2am, I am enjoying hosting more sophisticated get-togethers with my current roommate. Moreover, I can rely on my roommate to clearly communicate when she’ll be in the apartment, when she’s staying over with her significant other, or when to expect her significant other in the common areas, too. Given that she’s in her 30s, the added advantage is that her significant other has his own place, so she often spends her time there, giving me the apartment to myself and respecting my privacy, in that sense. I’m always grateful for my time alone and appreciate that we’re able to maintain such a clear and easy mode of communication with one another, as well.
7. Wisdom/Advice:Invaluable
最后，正如上面提到的那样，我从与老室友一起生活中学到了很多东西。从烹饪骇客到学习“托管”的艺术，在过去几个月中，我发展了很多宝贵的技能。此外，有一个姐姐几乎与我同住，并能够就专业电子邮件或友谊麻烦的建议提供建议，真是太好了。尽管我们是不同的人，但她还是经历了标志着20多岁生活的重大动荡。通过分享她的经验并提供智慧的话，我对自己的位置感到更好，并为我所经历的很多事情对我这个年龄的人来说是完全正常的事实感到安慰。鉴于我的父母是移民，并且在我这个年龄的一个不同的国家中拥有完全不同的经历，因此我发现能够与老年室友接触到我的可能性更大。
***
在与朋友或您年龄段的其他人一起闲逛时，当然有其优点，但我真的很喜欢和一个老室友一起生活。尽管我似乎从安排中受益最大，但我希望她也能与我同住。
Keertana Anandraj is a recent college grad living in San Francisco. When she isn’t conducting international macroeconomic research at her day job, you can find her in the spin room or planning her next adventure.
Image viaUnsplash
