Living on your own

[Hiro]

So I'm trying to get back up to my college town within the next couple weeks, because that's where my friends are, Phoenix sucks, and this is basically my first chance at a good summer. The problem is all of my friends already have places and everything. This means I don't have anyone to room with, leaving me to either find a 1-bedroom/studio apartment or to share a place with a random stranger.
Finding places available for rent within a reasonable price is proving a bit harder than I expected, especially since it's a college town and most people should be leaving around now.
Plus I still need to find a job (which I've never done before). I'll need to pay for food, internet, car insurance, etc on top of the rent.

Anyone else here not live with their parents/in a dorm, or at least has experience with it?

[YPrrrr]

From what I've heard from my friends living on your own can be great but it sucks that you have no one to split the rent and utilities with

[CruelPleasure]

I haven't lived with my parents for a good two years now, the freedom is nice. I'm planning on moving out of this place soon but first money is a factor. Move out it's not that hard, just prepare for being broke a lot for a while.

[Hiro]

From what I've heard from my friends living on your own can be great but it sucks that you have no one to split the rent and utilities with

That's exactly what I'd think. I don't know of anyone else looking for a place though, and all my friends are rooming with each other or bringing in extra people to live with them and stuff. Sucks because nobody ever offered me anything.

[YPrrrr]

Well you could always ask too. I got a bunch of offers once I let people know I was homeless


Unfortunately I also went with like the worst one so we'll see how that goes

[Hiro]

Well you could always ask too. I got a bunch of offers once I let people know I was homeless


Unfortunately I also went with like the worst one so we'll see how that goes

They're all fully aware, I've talked about it with a few but none of them really offered anything or seemed very serious about it. "Oh yeah maybe we could room together," being as far as it usually got. I even asked two of my friends if I could move in with them a few months ago and jokingly said "yeah sure just pay us $50 a month you can sleep on the couch".
Now they have 2 other people living with them. 

[Samus Aran]

i have lived in my own dorm every college semester

it's suited me just fine i guess

[Hiro]

i have lived in my own dorm every college semester

it's suited me just fine i guess

Anyone else here not live with their parents/in a dorm

[Samus Aran]

oh

[Hippopo]

Well.

Yeah, it's kind of hard to afford everything if you don't have a jorb.  Thankfully I saved a lot of money before I left for college, so I have a plan B when I'm unemployed, but the first step is to get some income flowing in.  Try to get a full time job if you can... Although that can sometimes be harder to find.

As for finding a place, it's insanely difficult in the summer for a college town.  This is called the rush season, and even though you think it should be easy because students leave for the summer, a lot of students sublet or stay in town...  Plus new graduates are trying to find places.  It only gets harder as the summer progresses too.

The easiest place to find apartments is through property management groups.  HOWEVER these are usually more expensive and can sometimes be more slummy.  But on the plus side, they are the easiest to deal with if you're out of town.  I'd also check the classifieds online.  You may find better deals there, but private landlords generally want to meet you before they rent out.

I've had roommates for the past two years.  For my last apartment, I found roommates through a friend of a friend of a friend, and it turned out to be the WORST rooming situation of my life.

However, I've heard great things about finding roommates on craig's list... I've also heard horror stories.

Personally, I'd suggest not getting a roommate if possible...  But if money is tight, you might have to settle for a random on craig's list.  But I'm sure you can survive a roommate for at least three months, right?

ALSO

Sometimes schools have a student rental service for finding rentals and roommates.  I'm sure if my school has one, others must have one as well.  I'd check out your college's website.  

---

Edit:  Although I've tried property management companies, classifieds, and my university's rental service, all of the places I rented I've found by walking through neighborhoods and calling private landlords from rental signs.  So good luck. 

[Boogus Epirus Aurelius]

I live alone.

All. Alone.

Really, don't take for granted living with parents and don't jump too hastily into looking for a place. I started out living with a few people here, but things have a way of happening and now they don't live here.

And by here, I mean there. I live in a different building with cheaper rent, but it's still taxing on the wallet. I'm moving out of here and back home soon actually.........bleh.

Don't even consider it if you don't have a job that you feel can give you steady enough hours while working around your school schedule. It only takes a few months to get into boiling fucking water while you realize food and insurance are more expensive than you'd imagine.

So, from my own experience, if you have the option of living with your parents through most or all of school, do it. Sure, living with family past a point is crappy, but the money you save can be really worth it, especially if school is close.

I don't know if that's what you're asking, though.

[Hiro]

I live alone.

All. Alone.

Really, don't take for granted living with parents and don't jump too hastily into looking for a place. I started out living with a few people here, but things have a way of happening and now they don't live here.

And by here, I mean there. I live in a different building with cheaper rent, but it's still taxing on the wallet. I'm moving out of here and back home soon actually.........bleh.

Don't even consider it if you don't have a job that you feel can give you steady enough hours while working around your school schedule. It only takes a few months to get into boiling fucking water while you realize food and insurance are more expensive than you'd imagine.

So, from my own experience, if you have the option of living with your parents through most or all of school, do it. Sure, living with family past a point is crappy, but the money you save can be really worth it, especially if school is close.

I don't know if that's what you're asking, though.

My college town is about 3 hours away from where my parents live, I'd live with them if I could. I'd prefer to live alone, it just seems challenging.

Well.

Yeah, it's kind of hard to afford everything if you don't have a jorb.  Thankfully I saved a lot of money before I left for college, so I have a plan B when I'm unemployed, but the first step is to get some income flowing in.  Try to get a full time job if you can... Although that can sometimes be harder to find.

As for finding a place, it's insanely difficult in the summer for a college town.  This is called the rush season, and even though you think it should be easy because students leave for the summer, a lot of students sublet or stay in town...  Plus new graduates are trying to find places.  It only gets harder as the summer progresses too.

The easiest place to find apartments is through property management groups.  HOWEVER these are usually more expensive and can sometimes be more slummy.  But on the plus side, they are the easiest to deal with if you're out of town.  I'd also check the classifieds online.  You may find better deals there, but private landlords generally want to meet you before they rent out.

I've had roommates for the past two years.  For my last apartment, I found roommates through a friend of a friend of a friend, and it turned out to be the WORST rooming situation of my life.

However, I've heard great things about finding roommates on craig's list... I've also heard horror stories.

Personally, I'd suggest not getting a roommate if possible...  But if money is tight, you might have to settle for a random on craig's list.  But I'm sure you can survive a roommate for at least three months, right?

ALSO

Sometimes schools have a student rental service for finding rentals and roommates.  I'm sure if my school has one, others must have one as well.  I'd check out your college's website.  

---

Edit:  Although I've tried property management companies, classifieds, and my university's rental service, all of the places I rented I've found by walking through neighborhoods and calling private landlords from rental signs.  So good luck.  

I'm definitely going to need a job, and I am starting to look for one. That sucks though if things are going to be as hard as you describe. I don't believe my school has any sort of rental service, they have enough to worry about with their campus housing issues.
Yeah, I might just have to room up with some random awful people

[YPrrrr]

You could always go on Facebook's marketplace and see if anyone is looking for roommates. Living with random people really isn't so bad (so long as you don't date them ) Or you could sublet until the fall.

[Hiro]

Facebook's marketplace

is that like craigslist? do people actually use that?

[YPrrrr]

Yes, I found a place to live last year from it... And you can check to see if they go to your university usually in their profile.

You could just check it out it doesn't take long