It's gotta be Karma...

[Customcasket]

i wish i could find room to live for 375$.....

Me too!!! $750 around where I live gets you a studio apartment which isn't roommate friendly lol. This is why I live at home with my parents... my mother likes to tell me "Chrissie, I love you. I don't love your animals." My father is too afraid of the birds to say he doesn't love them... as if I'd let them out to attack him.

You should get everything in writing. Type it all up, what each of you wants/needs and both of you sign it. Make multiple copies of it as well and keep them in a safe place. That is some BS. You finally find a bird that Con likes and you can't have it. What a disappointment. I was so excited when I started reading and then got to the post about your roommate and my mood crashed.

If I lived near you I'd so be your roommate. $375 is affordable and we could have our "zoo".

 

[Helitorian]

LOL!!! I'd take any of you guys as a roommate We're only going to be roommates because we're best friends and she's still loving at home at the age of 23 (soon to be 24) with out a car or license. She just thinks that I'm going to do everything to find the place when I live about 100 miles away. There's only so much I can do online. I asked her to get her license before I move back and she still hasn't taken the test for her permit and she isn't helping me look for a house.

I might just have to move back and live with my dad for a few months then get my own place after that if she's going to be so unreasonable. I'm frustrated about not being able to buy the Sun as well. Actually, I'm just all around frustrated. I think my head is going to explode! But you guys are being so helpful lol I really appreciate being able to vent here even though it's only sorta bird related

 

[roxynoodle]

Yeah I wish I could live for $375 per month including utilities! And a dog is a heck of a lot more work than another bird. I don't even have a dog anymore even though I once had 4 large dogs.

If you ever decide you want to live in Ohio, I could use a little extra income from a roommate and you can have any animals you feel like having. There's a barn with 2 extra stalls if you want a horse or other form of livestock, lol! You would just have to accept my 3 birds, cat and 2 horses.

You would just have to deal with my finishing the remodeling on the house! The worst is done though. Well, sort of. The bedrooms are going to be messy with removing all the crappy old plaster. But, there is 4 of them!

 

[cockatielfan17]

SUPER UNFAIR!! i dont know anything about living with roomates cause i still havent reached that faze yet. but, she looks as though she is dependent of u but she tries to hide it by making dum rules up, i think u should get ur sun conure and if she says something to say....... POW!!..... give it to her strait tell her a taking care of a dog is like having 5 parrots u pay most of the rent, u get the grocery ,and ur younger than her. u could tell her that with out u she wouldnt be able to pay for her own place or drive any were (i wouldnt say that that might lead to a fist fight) anyway set her strait!! and get that sun. Ur birds happiness will always come first trust me

 

[Helitorian]

Don't tempt me Roxy! lol Of course I'd accept your animals and as for the remodeling, I would help with it. I help my dad with our cabin all the time I've never lived outside of Nebraska before though so I don't know if I'd do it.

Cockatielfan17, her excuse for the dog was that her family always leaves their dogs outside. I don't even think they take them to the vet unless they have to be put to sleep or get bit by a raccoon.

She just told me she wants to only pay $200 a month including utilities...I guess living in a box on the street has really become expensive! My dad says that I should just forget about her as a roommate and just get a place for myself and I think I will. I'll just have to explain to her that her expectations and mine weren't the same. She just doesn't understand what it takes to live on your own. It isn't all going to appear of out nowhere for an insanely low price. Nebraska is a cheap place to live but not that cheap. And I do love my best friend but she frustrates the HECK out of me sometimes!

 

[Safira]

I would look for another roomate. 200 with utilites? Your electric, with heat or air, could eaisly run you over 150 dollars. So that's 75$ a month EACH... what about cable and internet? That'll be almost 50$ each if you get cable and the net. So she wants to pay... less then 100 dollars a month for a room. That's not realistic at all. She may be your friend, but you could get roped into paying for EVERYTHING. Be careful

 

[roxynoodle]

Yeah, sorry, there's no excuse for her to pay less than you. It's not like you own the place and will be the one who earns the equity later! You're sharing a duplex, which means sharing the expenses IMO.

Eh, Ohio isn't paradise, but I bet it's warmer here in the winter. Summers can be hot and humid though. And it's probably less boonyish, although I'm kind of in the boonies. But, I can get to reasonably sized cities quickly to buy whatever I need or to go out. And I live between a couple of college towns.

Any house mate I had would have to be an animal person and someone who can live with messes in the remodeling. Most people I've learned cannot! Notice I'm not married anymore, lol!

 

[usamimi]

I think your dad has the right idea! I've more than 200$ for AC some summer months in my old drafty downtown apt.

I think we found the reason why she's living with her parent. Heck i'll move to Ohio for 200$ a month!

 

[Customcasket]

Can I just show up on your doorstep Roxy? I adore horses, cats, and birds (obviously!) I'll bring my 4 birds, 2 cats, and I'll find a horse to fill one of those stalls. :X I've never been to Ohio. It'll be the never ending visit.

 

[Helitorian]

It probably is warmer there, Roxy lol but we're having an unusually warm winter right now. Con and I ate on the back porch this morning. We should have been sitting in a foot of snow with snowflakes falling on us instead of warm sunshine and no breeze.

I'll keep looking for 4 more weeks for a cheap place that suites both of us but if I find something I like and can afford, I'm taking it without her. I'm tired of *****footing around.

 

[roxynoodle]

Lol, everyone! Just bear in mind I'm quite a bit older than some of you and have an illness. At your ages I was always on the go, but these days, I'm kind of a slug, lol! Bars and parties are a thing of my past

We are having a great winter, too. It's not always that way though! The last 3 were record setting on snow, and last year we went more than 50 days in a row without going above freezing. But, I would still have to think it's not as bad as Nebraska.

I sure hope this doesn't mean summer is going to be 110 everyday! The older I get the more I hate extreme temperatures.

Yeah, I suppose those of us on this forum don't get upset about things like vocalizing birds, feathers, food and poop landing on the floor, lol! Most people I know don't know how I deal with those things without getting upset.

 

[cockatielfan17]

hope u guys run on an agreement and hope she actually pays the amount she is supposed to. hope u also end up getting that sun conure. where i live there is always good weather never ever has there ever been snow here. There might have but it has been a little.

 

[Customcasket]

Roxy, it's okay. I'm a homebody. Bars and parties are not my scene. I sit at home with my cats and birds.

The weather here has been great. In January 2011 we only had 4 days where the temperature went above 40 degrees. This year there have been 20 days above 40 and 12 of those days have been 50 degrees or warmer. Today it was in the high 60s. This time last year we had 2 blizzards within 4 days of each other. It was not a fun winter for us.

 

[Helitorian]

Roxy, I am also a homebody. I like to enjoy my animals and a good book over a "good time" at a bar or party. They just aren't my thing and neither are stupid kids my age. Seems the three of us would make a good trio xD

Cockatielfan17, if I get a house in the next month and the job I want, I WILL get that sun conure. I know how much you want a pair so I'd do it for you

All of you guys are amazing by the way! Thanks for being my "feather loving family"!

 

[roxynoodle]

I am definitely a home body. Now that I'm sick, I usually only leave for groceries, doctor appointments, to get hay, and vet appointments, lol! I even stayed home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day because my cat was sick, and I was worried about her.

Customcasket, I think overall NJ is warmer in the winter than Ohio because the ocean keeps you that way. However, you get bigger snowstorms. Of course the biggest snows generally happen when it's around 32 degrees. So if it's 5 degrees, it doesn't snow much, lol!

Helitorian, it sounds like your friend is trying to take advantage of you as far as the bills go. And still wants control over the apartment. Don't do it. It won't take long before you resent her for paying a lot more than she is, and then you won't be friends anymore. I would either find my own place, or a different roommate.

 

[Helitorian]

I plan on driving to my hometown tomorrow and we will talk. I don't want to pay more than my fair share and be treated like a kid. I'd rather be on my own than do that. She just needs to realize that her expectations are unreal. She had the gall to tell me last night that needs to lower my sights. I don't want to live in a ****hole, I'm sorry.

But if I can't go tomorrow, sometime next week, her and I will talk and we will see where we stand. I'd rather not lose her friendship but I don't want to give up my independence to keep it.

 

[Helitorian]

Update on that Sun Conure I wanted. I found out tonight that he was sold. I was sad but happy he at least went to a good home (I hope). Guess I'll just have to wait for another bird to come along.

 

[IcyWolf]

I feel like I should offer some insight of my own. To set the scene, I am 23 now and I first moved out of my mom's house before I graduated highschool(I think I had just turned 18 and I technically graduated early. I had no classes and didn't need to attend for the second semester but I still had to do the "senior stuff" and go back to complete my senior project and walk). I have lived with A LOT of people. The only time it has ever worked out was when I was living with very good friends like I am now. We tried doing the craigslist, rent a room thing and the first time we ended up getting attacked in the middle of the night by the man we lived with. Had to call 911, involve a lot of police and attend court for that one. It also left us homeless for about 8 months during which time we lived in my brothers shed. Now, it's not what most think of when they think of a shed, it's big, about the size of a large garage, had a woodstove and electricity and it also served as his studio for his band and fellow musicians to play and party. There was no running water or bathroom and even with the woodstove it got very cold in the winter. There were also many nights where the guys were up partying until 2-3am, BUT it allowed us to keep our dog whom we've had since he was 5 weeks old. We actually had quite a few places we could stay but not with the dog so we opted for "the shack". After 8 months of that we couldn't take it anymore, we were spending so much money trying to keep our food cold, we didn't have a fridge so we used a cooler, trying to buy dishes and things that didn't need washed, etc. It was like camping for 8 months straight and it was expensive, and we were paying him "rent" on top of it. We ended up having no other options and tried the craigslist route again. We moved into the middle of the city with a lesbian couple that seemed nice enough when we met them. After we moved in we realized that they were the biggest slobs and were always either violently fighting or having sex and honestly, I'm not sure which was louder. They were also constantly borrowing money that we would never get back and raising our rent for one reason or another. When we moved in they said the dog was okay, but then the landlord decided it wasn't since another family moved in downstairs and didn't like that we had a dog, we were left with 3 days to move out. Luckily my friend came to the rescue, we stayed with her for awhile and finally got the place we live now and we absolutely love it. It's not the cheapest but it's a huge house with a pond, greenhouse and 4.5 acres of land and woods that are "ours" and about another 5 acres that we are allowed to use. It is my boyfriend and I and two good friends. We all get along great and it's working out very well. But we did just have someone move out this week. It was a long time friend of mine that bugged and bugged to move in, we finally said okay and he caused problems from day one and ultimately, him living here has completely ruined our 8 year friendship and we're all just glad to have him out.

Sorry for the long story there but I guess what I'm trying to say is, if she is causing all of these problems and you don't even live together yet, I really think you are going to save yourself a big headache by not signing that lease with her. She may be older than you but it seems like she has no idea what it really costs to live on your own. She has no car, no license, and if she thinks $200 is enough to live in a 2 bedroom duplex, she is insane. Wait until she realizes how much groceries, gas(I assume she will need to get rides to places), clothes, etc cost. Add a dog on top of that and you have dog food, flea/tick medicine, annual vaccinations, heartworm tests and meds, neuter, toys, leashes, any thing that just comes up like sickness, injury, etc. And for the record, I don't know of any rescues or shelters that will adopt out to a person that plans to keep the dog outside 24/7.

 

[Helitorian]

I've come to find out that her step-dad is the one who's filling her head with all this crud. He's trying to make this sound so expensive just so she'll pressure me into moving into his rental house down the road. It isn't a livable home so I'd have to patch the roof, do some drywalling, replace appliances, and still pay $150 a month in rent along with utilities. I can't live there anyway because the backyard is a river and prone to coyotes and cougars and a crazy neighbor with a trigger happy finger so my cats wouldn't be safe. They need to go outside most of the day because she's allergic (plus they LOVE being outside). So the "best place" in her opinion is the worst for me and she won't budge.

As for the dog, IMO I think people keep their dogs outside because they are too lazy to train the dog properly (unless it is a farm dog than I understand). I know she's just going to tie it up and leave it all day so I'll be the one who has to take care of it and I don't like dogs. I'm thinking I'll bribe her with my 100 gallon tank to forget the dog. That way we'll have two large tanks, 3 cats and 2 birds (hopefully )

Brittany and I get along great and even had a trial run with living together a couple years ago when I lived in my apartment. She made it 6 days before my cats got to her so I know we can do it. She just needs to stop listening to her idiot step-dad who she hates anyway so I have no idea why she's listening to him...

And thanks for your story, IcyWolf. I'm glad you're in a good place now with your "zoo"

 

[lene1949]

I live in a large 3 bedroom house with my animals... I could probably easily take in a boarder to help with the rent, but having been on my own for nearly 20 years, I doubt I could live with someone else in the house...