You and your roommate have successfully navigated the early days of sharing a household: who gets the larger room, who takes the first shower of the day, and how to correctly install the toilet paper roll (the great “over versus under” debate). You are now ready to add a new member to your household: a pet. But which one is right for you? Before you head to the local animal shelter or pet store, consider the following... (Continue)

Whether you’re out of the house for the first time, going through a divorce, or have just moved to a new city, living alone is not easy. After friends and family eat the last of the pizza and all the boxes are unpacked, the silence can become deafening. Most people will sit down on the couch and drown out the silence with television or endless phone calls to friends and family. After you run out of subjects to talk about, you’ll find yourself tuning into other people’s lives with reality shows. And after a while, you’ll get sick of it all. Munching on snacks can keep you pre-occupied for a bit, but all the cheap pizzas and endless bowls of popcorn will make you feel sluggish. Sitting on the couch all night can make you feel useless. But it doesn’t have to be that way... (Continue)

In this day and age, it’s not uncommon for men and women to live together in an apartment or a house as roommates.  Many women actually prefer to live with a man; they see him as a built in protector, they know he won’t hog the bathroom all day long, and there is no chance of that girl-on-girl jealousy that tends to happen when women live together closely for an extended period of time.  There are also some serious benefits for men to choose a female roommate as well.  These men think, perhaps incorrectly though often it is the case, that a female roommate will keep the apartment’s shared rooms cleaner than a male buddy would.  They also think that... (Continue)

Due to rising housing costs, more and more people are finding that they need to have a roommate. However, finding a roommate can be a bit scary and intimidating. When choosing a roommate you want to be sure that the person you choose is someone that you can live with in relative harmony and peace. No doubt there are going to be some challenges, but if you are the type of person who doesn't shy away from new experiences, having a roommate can actually be a rewarding and exciting experience. The following is some helpful advice that can help your roommate search be a great deal less intimidating and will help you find the perfect roommate. (Continue)

I’ve often thought that getting a roommate would really help improve my quality of life. Right now, I live alone in what I like to affectionately call “my shoebox,” a tiny studio apartment in New York City for which I pay a fortune every month. A roommate would be such a great addition to my daily life. Not only would I have a friend to hang out with after work and on the weekends, but I’d also be able to cut my bills and my chores in half. Plus, I could finally afford to get a bigger, better apartment in a more exciting neighborhood! However, I am scared to death that I will end up with one of those infamous "Single White Female"-type of roommates; you know, the roommate who parties all night long and doesn't pay the rent on time. (Continue)

Sure, we have all heard horror stories of the “roommate from hell,” but most of us really never expect to be in that type of a situation. Stories are passed around, we cringe, we laugh; but no, surely that would never happen to us. Unfortunately, too many people never do think that they will have a roommate problem, so they end up taking a roommate search pretty lightly, somehow expecting the perfect roommate to be dropped in their lap. Sadly, it just doesn’t work this way, and picking out a roommate takes some work and perseverance. (Continue)