Shortly after getting married, my husband and I had the idea to rent out the spare room in our two-bedroom apartment to help rebuild our savings.
We’d just spent a lot on our wedding and honeymoon, and reducing our biggest living expense meant we’d have more money in our pockets each month.
Our spare bedroom is at the far end of our apartment, far enough away to maintain our privacy, making it an ideal space to rent. Plus, a friend of a friend was looking for a place to live.
Getting a roommate felt like the perfect opportunity and a great way for us to get back on track financially — and, for a while, it was.
At first, our new living arrangement worked well and provided a huge financial relief
For the first few months, things went really smoothly.
Our new roommate was in the hospitality industry and primarily worked at night, whereas my husband and I worked during the day. Since everyone had different routines, we weren’t stepping on each other’s toes.
It was also nice to share some of the household responsibilities, and keeping the apartment clean became second nature with a roommate. When someone else would be using the kitchen or bathroom after you, you wanted to make sure it’s in good shape for the next person.
The biggest perk of our new living situation was the financial relief: one-third of our bills were covered. With this, our savings began to grow, and my husband and I started planning some vacations.
We took a two-week-long road trip around Sicily and were able to visit my husband’s family in Argentina. We also have a dog, and our roommate loved dogs, so when we were away, they would take care of her.
So, my house was tidy, we had a live-in dog sitter, and our savings were growing. What could go wrong?
Over time, my husband and I stopped feeling comfortable in our own home
I wouldn’t say that one particular incident caused us to second-guess having a roommate. Rather, over time, we realized this couldn’t be a long-term solution.
We were newlyweds, and although taking romantic vacations was dreamy, we started to crave our privacy at home. Oftentimes, we found ourselves not wanting to use the common spaces in the house and trying to make as little noise as possible.
Before having a roommate, one of our favorite activities at the end of a long day was curling up on our couch to watch a movie. Now, we found ourselves doing this in our bedroom.
When we’d hear my roommate’s key in the lock during mealtime, we’d sometimes scurry into our room with our dinner plates just to have quiet time alone.
We couldn’t enjoy the beautiful home we had worked so hard to make our own, and feeling uncomfortable in it was affecting the intimacy in our marriage.
Eventually, the financial benefits just weren’t worth it anymore
After a few months, we’d also begun to rely too much on the savings from renting the spare room.
Having more money to save each month also meant having more to potentially spend.
We were definitely traveling more than we could realistically afford on our own — a sign of lifestyle creep. This financial relief was always meant to be temporary; we couldn’t get too attached to it.
It had also started to cause tension and arguments between my husband and me. I was ready for the roommate to leave, and my husband wanted them to stay a bit longer so our finances could get back on track after all the big spending on our trips.
So after a year and a half, we decided to give our roommate two months’ notice to leave. This gave them time to find something, and gave us time to prepare financially to go roommate-free.
It’s been just the two of us for about six months now, and we definitely feel freer in our own home — able to watch long movies on the couch and leave a dish or two in the sink, guilt-free.
We’re still adjusting to working with a much tighter budget, but at least it’s a more sustainable one.
Although we’d like to avoid having a roommate again, I would still recommend this to couples looking for extra cash flow as long as they weigh the pros and cons and set a clear deadline with their partner for how long the arrangement will last.
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