Everyone's Doing It: Cohabitation Nation

One year ago, I was in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend between New York and Philly. In May, I moved in with him. This is the first time I’ve ever lived with a guy. I grew up in my mom’s house with two younger sisters. In college and for the last three years, I’ve always had at least one other female roommate and I’ve never lived alone. Cohabitating is commonplace, at least in the city. Since May, literally eight of my friends moved in with their significant others too, so it’s pretty much the cool thing to do before you pay $40 grand for a wedding and move to Connecticut.

PROS
1. You can walk around in your underwear etcetera.
2. Your survival rate increases. You feel safer, knowing that a guy is more likely to punch an intruder in the face (or shoot him in the foot), while I’m pretty sure most girls would sob in a corner.
3. You don’t have to worry about offending a boyfriend, whereas with roommates, you’re supposed to write checks on time, ask to have visitors, keep your music low, and not take up too much kitchen or TV time. You might even start cooking like I did.
4. Boyfriends know how to hook up surround sound, hang curtains, and they’re really good at taking out the trash (when asked).
5. Cheaper rent.
6. If you get annoyed at your new male roommate, just tell him to cut the crap. Girls always cry and take things personally. Boys are drama-free and rational.

CONS
1. The grocery bill increases, and the amount of laundry triples. Word of advice: do not start doing your boyfriend’s laundry to be nice. He will forget how to do it himself immediately. You will be a slave to laundry. Get a separate basket for his stuff, and make him do it with you, together, until he remembers again.
2. If you get into a fight, especially if you live in the borderline ghetto and can’t go for a walk to cool down, you have nowhere to go except the bathroom. You no longer have your own room.
3. You will resent the fact that your boyfriend never thinks to dust and doesn’t even know where you keep the vacuum.
4. When you’re getting ready to go out, you have no one to ask if you look okay. “Is this skirt too short?” “Of course not,” he’ll say. Okay actually my boyfriend is good at giving advice and very honest, but I still can’t borrow his shoes.
5. When you feel like chatting, he may or may not completely zone out playing FIFA World Cup on Xbox or reading ESPN online. You’ll repeat yourself often. Especially during Fantasy Football season.
6. Your family will really wonder when you’re getting married.

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