Know your (crazy) roommate
Whether you’ve recently gone back to school, been downsized or been kicked out of your parents’ house after a few years of mooching off of them, the sad reality is that sometimes you’re forced to have a roommate. Sharing a space with a complete stranger can have its problems.
No more cooking breakfast in your underwear, no more trimming your toenails while sitting on the couch watching “Dancing with the Stars”, no more listening to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” really loud over and over again.
Checking out your roommate thoroughly is an important part of living amicably with someone. If you have the luxury of doing the choosing, google the person to see if there are any red flags. On the other hand, you may be the one who needs googling.
Try to lay some ground rules first: what are your policies on borrowing items, sharing food, gun control, dub step? What to do when the rent is late, your roommate sobs uncontrollably for days on end, or he/she seems to be ordering fertilizer in bulk, and you don’t have a garden.
Hopefully, the roommate thing will just be a temporary blip on your road of living conditions, but in the meantime, get a lock for your bedroom door. Better safe than sorry.
