If I had a dollar for every time my family asked me when I’m getting married or when I’m having children, I would be rich enough to afford a one-bedroom apartment in LA.
And you know what that means – a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom and – if you’re lucky – even a bathtub. Yes, you read that right! Look, nobody is arguing that LA is not expensive. In fact, most of us voluntary-Angelenos quite willingly choose to expend a ‘vacation tax’ to live the semi-luxurious, always-sunny California life.
The second most painful experience in SoCal, closely following traffic on the 405, is finding an apartment when you’re broke. Out of the many options, here are the top three:
1. Live with a stranger you find on Facebook or Craigslist
Hello, crazies! Most rental ads are frauds and most certainly should require a background check on both ends. Pro tip: if you’re visiting a potential apartment, interview the neighbors to see what their thoughts are about your soon-to-be roomie.
2. Live with a hometown friend
Living with someone you know is comfortable and easy compared to the other options. If you choose this option, do your best to intentionally travel outside your comfort zone to make new friends and get the whole experience. Otherwise, you’ll likely see the same people you did back in college.
3. Live in a 200 sq. ft. studio with absolutely no appliances
Say goodbye to a stove, oven, heck – maybe even a mailbox! Coming from a comfortable Midwestern life, the biggest shock can be looking at some living options that are the literal definition of “having a roof over your head.”
No matter how hot it gets in the summer or how exhausting apartment-shopping may feel, I’m sure you’re going to love the memories and experience of coming up in this beautiful, messy world.