5 Things I Won't Do To Save Money on Rent

I spend a lot of money on my rent each money. As I’m thinking about moving in with my partner, we’re considering ways that we can reduce what we each spend. However, it turns out that chances are that we aren’t going to end up spending much less individually once we move. Some of this has to do with these five things that I’m not willing to do in order to lower my rent:

1. Move Out of San Francisco

This is the big one. I love San Francisco. This city is where I thrive creatively, emotionally, physically, socially. I have lived here for about 16 years now, and I still don’t have any desire to leave the city. Of course, it’s one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Therefore, my love for the city certainly makes it hard to lower my rent significantly.

2. Move Into Certain Neighborhoods

Obviously, just like anywhere else, certain neighborhoods are cheaper than others in San Francisco. I actually couldn’t lower my rent much if I moved alone to a different neighborhood. However, if my partner and I moved in together, there are neighborhoods we could move into that would lower my half of the rent. Some of them are definitely doable. However, there are a lot of them I won’t even consider.

It’s not that I want to be in a “better” neighborhood. In other words, safety isn’t the primary concern. As far as safety goes, honestly, there are certain blocks within neighborhoods that I’d prefer not to live on, but there aren’t specific neighborhoods I’d rule out entirely.

However, there are many other factors that make me rule out entire neighborhoods. I need sunshine so I won’t live in neighborhoods where it’s basically always foggy. I don’t have a car, so there are certain further-away less-walkable neighborhoods that I’ve ruled out. A few neighborhoods have just a little bit too much of party atmosphere for me. So, even if those neighborhoods are cheaper, I’m unlikely to make the move to them.

3. Get Roommates

Obviously the best way to cut the rent is to get someone else to split it with you. However, I’ve lived alone for a long time. I love living alone. As long as I’m in a position to afford to do so, I don’t want to have to live with roommates.

The exception, of course, is if the boyfriend and I do decide to move in together. But as I said, that’s not going to cut my own portion of the rent significantly and here’s why …

4. Live In a Too-Small Space

I don’t need a TON of space. In fact, I’ve never wanted to live in a mansion or a huge house or anything like that. I love a small home. Less home, less cost, less things to fill it with, less cleaning to do, less hassle. That said, I won’t move into a too-small space. What does that mean? For living alone, it means that I won’t rent a studio even though it’s cheaper than a one bedroom. I live and work in my home and I can’t do it all in one room all of the time without compromising my sanity. For living with the boyfriend, it means that we’re looking at two bedrooms, not one bedrooms.

5. Trade Rent for Work

I’ve actually thought about this option before. For example, I’ve thought about working as a building manager in order to get an apartment in the building for free. However, I’ve ultimately decided that I don’t want to do this.

Does this all make me spoiled? To me, it means that I know what I want. I work hard to make it happen. It’s not easy working for yourself in San Francisco and supporting yourself without roommates for well over a decade. I’ve made that happen. I just make my financial sacrifices in other ways. What would you NOT do in order to lower your rent?

Come back to what you love! Dollardig.com is the most reliable cash-back site on the web. Just sign up, click, shop, and get full cashback!

Kathryn Vercillo

Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.