Why do people feel entitled to not live with roommates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are no-roommate people.
college kids have singles, parent lives alone in 5 bedroom house and I live in a four bedroom.
I’d rather scrimp on something else.

This seems so selfish and a waste of resources. Typical rich aholes

[Anonymous]

Some of this really does boil down to an introvert/extrovert thing. I was definitely an outlier in my 20s for not having a roomate/housemate as most if my coworkers did. The tradeoff for me was living in a 350 ft studio. I had roommates all through college, but primarily only people I knew well before we were roommates. I value my privacy and alone time and didn't want to risk dealing with a bad roommate fit after college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you know, you're old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Roommates are gross, to start with.

And LOUD. I don't want to listen to someone's TV at 10 pm when I'm trying to sleep, thanks.

[Anonymous]

This is a terrible take. 22% of young adults are living with their parents. 32% of households have some kind of roommate arrangement, and that excludes romantic partners. Plenty of people are doubled up or with parents.

Compare some figures on rising income inequality, wage stagnation, and the cost of housing. That's the problem. The entitled jerks are the wealth hoarders.

[Anonymous]

There is stigma attached to it.

I lived with roommates until I moved in with my now husband -- I only lived alone for a short 6 month stint after grad school when I sacrificed proximity to my job in order to afford a studio apartment, and discovered I'd rather live with a roommate and have a short commute than live alone really far out.

But I remember feeling pressure to live alone and that many people, including my own parents, thought there was something inherently immature about living with roommates. I disagreed -- choosing to share an apartment was a mature choice IMO because it enabled me to live within my means, get by without a car, etc. Also, while I wasn't friends with all my roommates, I was friends with many of them, and that's a built in social circle for a young person starting out.

But that didn't stop people from making comments about when was I "finally" going to "grow up" and get my own place.

Ironically, many of the people I knew in my 20s who had their own apartments were heavily subsidized by their parents. Hmmm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only had roommates one year in college. I’ve not had roommates on a much lower salary than 65k. You can always find ways. I don’t trust random people with my person, my pets and my things, and like my own space and quiet.

I had way more roommates than I ever wanted, including in a group housing situation on a study abroad where 4 girls shared a bedroom. It's not ideal, but you get used to it. In fact we all keep in touch 20 years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We should pass a law enforcing minimum household sizes or heavily tax single occupancy dwellings.

So if your parents are currently living in a one bedroom apartment, and one of them dies, you want your other parent to be forced to let someone else move in with them? Or be "heavily taxed?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only had roommates one year in college. I’ve not had roommates on a much lower salary than 65k. You can always find ways. I don’t trust random people with my person, my pets and my things, and like my own space and quiet.

I had way more roommates than I ever wanted, including in a group housing situation on a study abroad where 4 girls shared a bedroom. It's not ideal, but you get used to it. In fact we all keep in touch 20 years later.

Just zero desire. I made choices like a longer commute to avoid it, free housing for specific duties… I don’t think anyone is entitled to tell people how to live. We all have different likes and priorities.

[Anonymous]

Because that doesn’t fix the underlying issue that housing costs are out of control. It’s just kicking the can further down the road - next its “just get 2 jobs” or “start a side hustle” when reality is that people should be able to afford housing and expenses on $65k. We shouldn’t need to be millionaires just to have a house and a car.

To put it in perspective - 5 years ago, I rented a 1 bedroom apartment for $700. That same apartment now goes for nearly $1400. Housing prices should NOT be doubling every 5 years, that’s insane.

Salaries are not rising in step with basic living costs, and getting a roommate won’t fix that problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because that doesn’t fix the underlying issue that housing costs are out of control. It’s just kicking the can further down the road - next its “just get 2 jobs” or “start a side hustle” when reality is that people should be able to afford housing and expenses on $65k. We shouldn’t need to be millionaires just to have a house and a car.

To put it in perspective - 5 years ago, I rented a 1 bedroom apartment for $700. That same apartment now goes for nearly $1400. Housing prices should NOT be doubling every 5 years, that’s insane.

Salaries are not rising in step with basic living costs, and getting a roommate won’t fix that problem.

That was insanely cheap. I paid $650 for a one bedroom 25 years ago. I did so alone, but that was after having roommates for many years. I was tired of walking in on people getting it on, or passed out naked on my couch. Zero respect for any boundaries.

Still I don't think a person needs a 4-5 bedroom home, for themself.

[Anonymous]

I had roommates all through college and grad school. So when I got a job with a real salary I decided it was time to live on my own, and I rented a one-bedroom. It was great...then an old friend visited for what I thought was a weekend but turned into three months crashing on my couch. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

I live with roommates. One is 10, the other 13. They are literally the worst. They never wipe down the sink, contribute nothing to the utilities and they expect rides to things. Don't get me started on them eating all of my groceries!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live with roommates. One is 10, the other 13. They are literally the worst. They never wipe down the sink, contribute nothing to the utilities and they expect rides to things. Don't get me started on them eating all of my groceries!

Their mother should have raised them better. Zero home training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s normal to expect a full time job to pay for a separate accommodation (however small) and a car that’s not a beater at least, preferably newish.
I mean why slave away otherwise?

What's your other option?