Housing is the largest expense in most budgets. More than any other bill, it can keep you from accomplishing other important financial goals.
How about reducing your housing expenses by getting a roommate or moving in with your parents? It doesn’t have to be permanent.
Cutting your housing costs in half for a year or two can help you pay off student loans or build up the ideal emergency fund.
I’ve had several roommates over the years and, for more the most part, gotten along with all of them.
Here are some things I’ve learned through my experience.
How to Get Along with Roommates
Roommate disputes are normal, even when your housemate is a best friend, significant other, or parent.
Packing your bags and bailing on your roommate for solo living may seem easier, but sticking it out can pay off in the long run. Not to mention you may not be ready for such an abrupt cost of living increase.
Choose your battles. Engaging in a verbal showdown with someone you live with is rarely worth it.
Which is easier? Bitchin’ to your roommate about how she never empties the dryer, and then subsequently throwing down in a Mob Wives-esque fist fight or taking thirty seconds to unload the machine and enjoying the rest of your day black eye and bloodied nose-free?
Do your part. Don’t parade around common areas in your underwear. Smoke outside. Wear headphones. Use your inside voice. Don’t devour your roommate’s snacks. Tidy up after yourself. Communicate, respectfully, about issues. In other words, behave like the roommate you want to have.
Set ground rules for visitors. For example, some women don’t know when to tell their boyfriends to go home. Insist that your roomie’s beau sleepover no more than twice a week – and make sure you adhere to the same standards. Boyfriends should rarely, if ever, shower on the premises. He shouldn’t linger behind when your roommate leaves or receive packages at your address or do his laundry in your home. The same thing goes with friends and relatives.
Be honest about who you are. Don’t claim you’re a neat freak when you’re perfectly content lying in a bed that’s 60% covered in sand and crumpled potato chips. If you’re an early riser or late sleeper, let your roommate know so that she can keep quiet while you slumber.
Finding a Good Roommate
Before you take on the legal responsibility of sharing rent (e.g. signing a lease together), verify that your roommate is willing and able to pay their share of the rent on time. Here are a few ways:
You can perform a credit check and background check on a roommate for $25 using TransUnion SmartMove.
And definitely make sure you’re not signing up to live with a sex offender. The National Sex Offender Registry is free.
You can do a free credit screening on a prospective roomie by having them create an account with Credit Karma. You won’t see the actual credit report, but you will get a glimpse of a free credit summary and score from TransUnion.
Scope out social networks. It irks me when employers judge job applicants based on their personal online activities, but if you want to weed out creepers, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the way to go. You’ll quickly learn whether your next roommate is the type of character who slurps tequila from a sweaty stranger’s, lint filled navel.
Keep in mind that the more information you ask for, the harder it’ll be to find a good roommate. Not necessarily because people are sketchy, but because they don’t want to be hassled. So only ask for what you need to ensure they’ll pay rent on time and mesh with your living habits.
How have you dealt with difficult roommates?
Shawanda Greene is a free thinking, frugal gal whose only vices are boxed wine, lip balm and money grubbing. You can find more of Shawanda's musings at 
I’ve had my share of major bad roommates, most of whom assumed their significant other or kids could just move in without any discussion rent free. It’s mind blowing what people think is OK.
After years of living with roommates, I have found that most problems get down to two things: money and cleaning. So now that I am the landlady, I am asking for an all inclusive rent, and no need to split and fight over the bills. Once a year or so, I hire someone for a deep spring cleaning and carpet shampooing, and the day to day cleaning is very organized too. I have had a smoother houseshare since.
My article would have been much shorter. “What everyone should know about roommates : They suck. ” haha Great article, it is definitely important to choose your battles !! I am so happy I don’t have to deal with them anymore, the slight rage that started building thinking about my old roommate was enough for me. 😛
I’ve definitely had some good and bad roommate experiences, and definitely learned a lot from both! Great tips!
I’ve lived with good and bad roomates. The last real roomates I had, I lived with my fiance and (at the end) two other guys. The one we had started with was great but the last one was horrible. He had long curly black hair and would tell me I needed to clean the shower drain when it wasn’t my hair (short, blonde, straight hair is what I have). Plus he didn’t like to clean at all.