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She claims her rent was half her income, but dismisses the suggestion she should have gotten a roommate. When I was poor and in college, I shared a one-bedroom

She claims her rent was half her income, but dismisses the suggestion she should have gotten a roommate. When I was poor and in college, I shared a one-bedroom apartment with 2 other students to cut expenses. We took turns sleeping on the couch. I also worked in restaurants where your compensation usually includes a free meal. But, I feel sympathy for the author. Those years, and the years just after that were tough financially. I can say that your later years will be much better financially. https://smartasset.com/retirement/the-average-salary-by-age https://smartasset.com/retirement/the-average-salary-by-age

CodeWriter23 9y ago
Glad the roommate thing worked out for you. For me, it was a series of costly disasters of flakes who didn't hold up their end of the bargain. And the headaches of getting them booted when they failed to pay their share of the rent. It worked out the same for me as the author. Choosing to partner with other impoverished folk brought more financial friction into my life than slugging it out on my own.
- thatcat 9y ago
  This is especially true if your job requires deep concentration, say as a coder or writer.
Noos 9y ago
...this is a wonderful example of upperclass blindness. Here's the thing..it worked for you because in your social class and specific area in life, it is more likely than not any roommates you found would be responsible students. But if you are poor, you are risking getting into a legal contract with someone who could turn out to have an abusive boyfriend, who managed to hide his drug use or alcholism from people, who is dealing with serious mental depression, who can't stay in a job more than three weeks and sponges off his roommates, etc. The rather nasty side to Jesus's parable about the talents is that the rich people got even richer, while the poor man who was frightened lost all that he had. Many solutions people give rely on the person possessing wealth in that sense; if just the social wealth of everyone coming from stable families, with more or less no serious addictions or issues. but if not, many of those solutions get even worse and lead to worse ruin.
- synicalx 9y ago
  Ok I've been poor, so I guess that "qualifies" me to comment: the OP is right, if you're struggling for cash in an expensive city then it's not wise to live by yourself. The argument of "oh but something bad might happen" doesn't hold water - if you're struggling to feed yourself and have no money, then something very bad is ALREADY happening.

CodeWriter23 9y ago

Glad the roommate thing worked out for you. For me, it was a series of costly disasters of flakes who didn't hold up their end of the bargain. And the headaches of getting them booted when they failed to pay their share of the rent. It worked out the same for me as the author. Choosing to partner with other impoverished folk brought more financial friction into my life than slugging it out on my own.

thatcat 9y ago
This is especially true if your job requires deep concentration, say as a coder or writer.

Noos 9y ago

...this is a wonderful example of upperclass blindness. Here's the thing..it worked for you because in your social class and specific area in life, it is more likely than not any roommates you found would be responsible students. But if you are poor, you are risking getting into a legal contract with someone who could turn out to have an abusive boyfriend, who managed to hide his drug use or alcholism from people, who is dealing with serious mental depression, who can't stay in a job more than three weeks and sponges off his roommates, etc. The rather nasty side to Jesus's parable about the talents is that the rich people got even richer, while the poor man who was frightened lost all that he had. Many solutions people give rely on the person possessing wealth in that sense; if just the social wealth of everyone coming from stable families, with more or less no serious addictions or issues. but if not, many of those solutions get even worse and lead to worse ruin.

synicalx 9y ago
Ok I've been poor, so I guess that "qualifies" me to comment: the OP is right, if you're struggling for cash in an expensive city then it's not wise to live by yourself. The argument of "oh but something bad might happen" doesn't hold water - if you're struggling to feed yourself and have no money, then something very bad is ALREADY happening.