Coupled. And Cohabitating

By Sarabeth

I don’t know about every other college out there, but here at UT it’s time for people to start planning their living arrangements for the fall. Some people greet this time with the panic of trying to find a decent place to live that isn’t a ga-billion dollars, while others are excited for their first apartment with their best friends (no matter how much it costs). However, for those who’ve been in a relationship for quite a while, this time might be a time to take a big step forward and ask “what if I just lived with my boyfriend?”

As most of you know, this is the route I took. I went from dorm rooms my freshman and sophomore years to living with Matt now in my junior year. It’s been quite a trip and I definitely have some things to share about living with your significant other. Before you take the plunge, it’s good to know what you’re getting yourself into. Allow me to help.

First of all, let me say that I absolutely love living with Matt. I love waking up next to him, even if he has stinky morning breath. (I’ll admit, my morning breath is actually in all likelihood worse than his). That being said, let’s walk through the ups and the downs of cohabitation:

Up: Living with your boyfriend is a great way to save money. One bedroom places are already the cheapest on the market and you can make it even cheaper by sharing that one room.
Down: Living with your boyfriend is a great way to eliminate any and all secrets. While Matt and I are very open with each other, there are things that I don’t want him seeing me do (ahem lip waxing ahem).
Tip: One bedroom apartments are the perfect amount of space for a couple. Studio apartments are not.

Up: Your boyfriend will always be there. Of the two years I spent in the dorms, the worst part was always the one mile walk to Matt’s dorm on the other side of campus. I always thought, “You know, if we just lived together we wouldn’t have to work our butts off just to see each other!”
Down: YOUR BOYFRIEND WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. Even at, oh say, 10 o ‘clock at night when you just got home from campus because your study session ran late and you haven’t had anything to eat all day and you come home to find that your boyfriend has drank all the alcohol and eaten the last two slices of bread.

Up: You’ve got your best friend by your side all the time, whether you want to watch movies, cook dinner, or…you know.
Down: But your other best friends, the ones you talk about this best friend with, are all the way across campus. And they’re always hanging out together, making memories and new inside jokes.

See? Living with the BF isn’t the super fun perma-sleepover you might think it will be. You really need to love somebody before you decide to put your relationship through that kind of stress. To be quite honest, I think I moved in with Matt a little early. He was the one who asked me to live with him, and while I wouldn’t change anything, I do kind of wish that I had lived on my own a little while before I settled in with Matt.

My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you don’t do something that you’re going to regret. If you want to be independent and live on your own, then by all means do it! Don’t be afraid of hurting your sig other’s feelings – you have to do what is right for you!

Moving in with your boyfriend is huge, so don’t enter into it lightly. Make sure you discuss everything that could come up, like who pays for what, one car or two, chore lists, etc. If you and your boyfriend decide that this is something you really want to do, then I wish you all the best of luck. Just make sure he restocks the Absolut when he finishes the bottle….

Happy Housing Hunting!