sharing a studio with a roommate...

[FRx]

I'm a single mid 30's guy. I work mostly afternoons/evenings along with weekends. I live in a 400sqft studio in a great neighborhood with lots of walking around and cafes etc. I pay less than $900 in rent and found someone who is willing to share the studio rent with me. She is in my age group and works mostly mornings/afternoons and off on weekends. She is a minimalist from what she describes and so am I. She has a good job and very active, always out and about doing various sports. I naturally would have preferred a dude to room with but she just sort of popped up out of nowhere. I would probably put up some curtains in the studio which has plenty of windows so that would work out ok. Am I being uber-frugal in trying to find a roommate or should I go for it? My total expenses including my student loans is less that $2,400/mo. My savings rate is above 50%.

[Jean]

Your numbers seems big.
I personally share a bed with my ex, and if there are some conflict, things go well overall.
So, go for it, be ready for some time of adaptation.
If it goes bad, you'll learn from it.
Keep an escape way in case things get terrible and you have other things do focus on than making things better.

[sterlingarcher]

Go for it. Like Jean says, expect some time to adapt. I live in 600 sqft with 2 women and a dog. It works out fine as long as you get along. If you develop some sort of friendship you might be set with a roommate for a long time.

[bradley]

I say go for it as well. $900 for a single person is high. The extra $450 you'd save is worth a lot. Just do your due diligence and make sure this is someone you can live with. Have you ever lived with a roommate before?

[Scott 2]

I'd look for other ways to save it off that 2400 a month first. That's a lot of spending.

Sharing such an intimate space with a woman you aren't intimate with seems like trouble starting.

[FRx]

I've had rommmate before back in college. There is certainly more room to save on my budget. The other person seems responsible and appears to have her life together. But of course I would never know unless I lived with her. I dose am exit strategy would be to move out if it didn't work out.

[jdc732]

It sounds like she is good roommate material but, perhaps you two should move into a larger place (1.5 bdr?) situation rather than try to fit into a confined space like that. It will be more cost effective and the downside of being all up in each other's grills will be neutralized. Where do you live?

[FRx]

I live in the portland area. I still have time left on my lease so moving now would be a little hard.

[jdc732]

Oh, gotcha. Hopefully this woman isn't attractive because the close proximity will prob lead to crossing the romance line - just my experience of these types of situations. Unless you're gay, in which case, it should be clear sailing. If you are comfortable living in close quarters, shaving that $450 off your monthly spend would be a great increase in savings.

[FRx]

Maybe I'm being naiive but I'm not worried about getting involved with her in any way. She is attractive I guess but also seems to have her shit together so I think she too can keep it professional. But it's great advice, I appreciate it. I'm definitely leaning towards doing it, seems like a great deal.