Best neighorhood for single 30yo female professional/grad student (Chicago: coupons, for rent)

[Thegrlwiththedragonflytat]

I've been living in the near southwest suburbs for the last 2 years since I moved to Chicago, since that's where my job is, but as much as I hate commuting, at this point I hate my location even more. So I'm trying to figure out where I should move in the city (or suburbs) that would have a lot of other single 30-somethings.

I'm a 30 year old single woman with a full-time job, and I'm planning on starting grad school (part time) at DePaul next year. My current job is in Bedford Park, and there is a strong possibility of being transferred to Romeoville (also possiblility of transfers to locations in the west or north suburbs, so my job location isn't a given). I realize that there is nowhere close to either of those locations that would be up my alley, and I'll have to commute, but I'm hoping to keep it under an hour.

As far as rent, I only make 30k, so I can't afford much (it's a given that I'll have to have roommates). So that leads to another question- what is the best way to find roommates here? I've been looking on craigslist, but there really aren't that many posts, and they are almost all immediate availability, which is a problem as I need to give 30-days notice to my landlady. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[bella84]

Have you tried making your own post on Craigslist explaining that you are looking for roommates?

Also, try Roommates & Rooms for rent in Chicago on Easyroommate or https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagoroommates.

[Drover]

Which DePaul campus will you be attending?

[jwuk45]

Originally Posted by Thegrlwiththedragonflytat

As far as rent, I only make 30k, so I can't afford much (it's a given that I'll have to have roommates). So that leads to another question- what is the best way to find roommates here? I've been looking on craigslist, but there really aren't that many posts, and they are almost all immediate availability, which is a problem as I need to give 30-days notice to my landlady. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

With 30k you don't have to have a roommate. With a roommate, you can pretty much live anywhere on that salary. I'd recommend Lakeview and Lincoln Park for starters.

Not that many posts on craigslist? There are over 500 listings for under $1000 a month on the north side alone.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by jwuk45

With a roommate, you can pretty much live anywhere on that salary.

You think that you can live anywhere in the city on a $30K salary with roommates? That's just not even close to true.

[jwuk45]

Originally Posted by marothisu

You think that you can live anywhere in the city on a $30K salary with roommates? That's just not even close to true.

Erm, yes it is. Even Lincoln Park has rooms for rent for between $450 and $1000.

chicago rooms for rent & shares available "lincoln park" - craigslist

In fact, more rooms are in that price range there than above it.

[bella84]

Originally Posted by jwuk45

Erm, yes it is. Even Lincoln Park has rooms for rent for between $450 and $1000.

chicago rooms for rent & shares available "lincoln park" - craigslist

In fact, more rooms are in that price range there than above it.

No one making $30K a year can afford $1000 per month in rent - or anything close to it. Even the low end of that range would be tough, unless the person is frugal in every other aspect of life.

[jwuk45]

Originally Posted by bella84

No one making $30K a year can afford $1000 per month in rent - or anything close to it. Even the low end of that range would be tough, unless the person is frugal in every other aspect of life.

Wrong. After taxes, 30k a year is about $1900 a month. $1000 rent, $100 utilities, $35 cell phone, $200 food, $200 drinks/entertainment, $100 transport. That still leaves a couple hundred bucks a month. I've got by on a lot less than that per month after rent.

Low end would be tough? If you can't live very comfortably on $30k with a $500 room, there's something seriously wrong with you.

[bella84]

Originally Posted by jwuk45

Wrong. After taxes, 30k a year is about $1900 a month. $1000 rent, $100 utilities, $35 cell phone, $200 food, $200 drinks/entertainment, $100 transport. That still leaves a couple hundred bucks a month. I've got by on a lot less than that per month after rent.

Low end would be tough? If you can't live very comfortably on $30k with a $500 room, there's something seriously wrong with you.

Well, I guess something is seriously wrong with me then. I make about double that now, and I'm paying slightly over $1000 per month in rent. It's not tough, but it's not like I have a lot of extra cash to be throwing around either. When I was just starting out my career, making about $34K and paying about just over $500 per month in rent, I wasn't making it. Then again, I have student loan bills, pay (a lot) into my retirement, pay car insurance, buy hair and body products, and spend more on most of those things that you listed. Those are frugal amounts, IMO, and you leave a lot of things out. Saying that one could live "very comfortably" on that just isn't true. I guess it's not impossible to live on that, but it's not going to be easy, and it's not going to be comfortable. Perhaps it would be easier for a male than female, but the OP is female.

[jwuk45]

Originally Posted by bella84

Well, I guess something is seriously wrong with me then. I make about double that now, and I'm paying slightly over $1000 per month in rent. It's not tough, but it's not like I have a lot of extra cash to be throwing around either. When I was just starting out my career, making about $34K and paying about just over $500 per month in rent, I wasn't making it. Then again, I have student loan bills, pay (a lot) into my retirement, pay car insurance, buy hair and body products, and spend more on most of those things that you listed. Those are frugal amounts, IMO, and you leave a lot of things out. Saying that one could live "very comfortably" on that just isn't true. I guess it's not impossible to live on that, but it's not going to be easy, and it's not going to be comfortable. Perhaps it would be easier for a male than female, but the OP is female.

That's my point, you're paying for things not everyone needs. You've become so used to spending on certain things that you can't imagine other people getting by without them. But people do. You don't necessarily have to have a car if you live in Chicago, not everyone has student loans (or makes enough to have to pay them off right now), not everyone pays into retirement, and hair and beauty products aren't vital to everyone.

Honestly, the only things I spend money on are rent, utilities, groceries/toiletries (I very rarely eat out, and I don't miss it. I enjoy cooking my own meals) a lot of which can be bough for a fraction of the price from stores like Big Lots and Dollar Tree (even so, I could be paying less. I know people who pay $100 a month for groceries with coupons, buying in bulk, etc), alcohol (once or twice a week), travel (not much for me as I work at home so don't need to commute), health insurance ($40 as I get tax credits), cell phone (Virgin and Cricket both do great $35 a month plans). I'm totally comfortable. Would I be comfortable if I had previously been making $50k a year? Probably not, for a while at least. But then, if you made $1 million a year for a while, you'd struggle if you then went down to $100k. It's all relative.