Finance: To roommate or not to roommate

To roommate or not to roommate

Written by dan the roommate man

Making repparttar

Decision Do you want or need to live with a roommate? What are repparttar 112044

pros and cons of having a roommate? What should you consider when looking for a roommate? And what issues should you get settled before you move in? On this page we'll look at repparttar 112045

pros and cons and some tips to consider; later, we will look at repparttar 112046

some of

issues you should get settled before moving in with roommates and how to get them in writing.

The Pros of Roommates

it's often cheaper as costs (rent, utilities, food) are split household chores are a shared responsibility you can often afford a bigger apartment with more living space if you split repparttar 112048 costs a roommate can assuage loneliness

The Cons of Roommates

a perceived (if not real) lack of privacy someone else's problems can become yours you're relying on someone else honoring their obligations (to pay rent, to pay utilities, etc.) there's always repparttar 112049 potential for disputes, even with a friend

Some Considerations

Just because someone's been your best friend since elementary school doesn't mean he or she will make a great roommate.

Often living together can destroy even a close friendship.

It's a good idea to know going in what you want in a roommate and what you won't tolerate. Will you accept a roommate who smokes? What about one with a live-in boyfriend or girlfriend? Will you live with someone of repparttar 112050 opposite sex? What about someone of a different sexual orientation? What about cleanliness? Pets? Morning person vs. night owl?

Debt Relief Using Your Current Income

Written by Carolyn Shipp

Debt is a hard thing to live with, but we all have it and deal with it everyday. Sometimes it is manageable, sometimes you feel like you can barely keep your head above water and unfortunately many times you feel like you are drowning in it!

Is there a way to get out of debt without getting a second job or having to increase your income in some way? Can repparttar average person take his or her current income and pay off his or her bills in a matter of a few years, including repparttar 112043 car and mortgage payments?

The answer is YES!!! You can do it without having to cut out all of your fun and extra-curricular activities as well. Now, you may need to cut down on going to repparttar 112044 movies or going out to eat, but you will not have to stop altogether. It is a matter of putting together your plan and then sticking to your plan!

The process is fairly simple, most people just don't realize it. Anyone can get started right away, including YOU right now! Here is what you need to know:

1. What is your total net income? 2. What are your debts and minimum monthly payments? (Don't include any extra money you are paying towards any debt. You want only your minimum required monthly payments.)

Okay, are you ready to begin?

The first thing you need to do is take a percentage of your NET income (a good beginning point would be 5%) and write this amount down at repparttar 112045 top of a blank sheet of paper.

Next, write down each of your debts (not including utility bills, insurance payments, property taxes, etc.) in a column at repparttar 112046 left side of your page. Beside each debt, write down your total balance and then your minimum monthly payment.

Once you have all of these down, divide your total balance by repparttar 112047 minimum monthly payment. Write this amount next to each debt. Taking repparttar 112048 debt that has repparttar 112049 shortest payoff number, number this number 1. Taking repparttar 112050 next shortest payoff, number it number 2 and so on until each debt has a number next to it. These numbers indicate repparttar 112051 order in which you will begin to pay off your bills.

Now, here is where your 5% comes into play. For debt number 1 take repparttar 112052 minimum monthly payment and add it to repparttar 112053 5% figure. Divide repparttar 112054 total balance by this new amount to get repparttar 112055 total months it will take to payoff repparttar 112056 debt. For debt number 2, you will take repparttar 112057 minimum monthly payment plus repparttar 112058 5% plus repparttar 112059 minimum monthly payment of debt number 1 (since it will be paid in full) and add them together. Again take repparttar 112060 total balance and divide it by your new monthly payment to figure your total months to payoff. Do this with each debt until you are finished.

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