Paying extra for a room in a large house with amenities

[StartingEarly]

I just got a new job in a new city and am looking at places to stay. I usually prefer having a room in a house vs an apartment so I can have a garage and it's quieter (third shift). The rooms for rent in the area tend to range from 300 on the very low end to around 600 with everything included.

The one I am really interested in is the $600 one, but it has a pool, sauna, my own shower, is about 4-5000 square feet, has its own theater and has a nice yard for the area. These are all things that are pretty important to me.

I know it's cheaper than having my own apartment, especially one that would have a garage, but I am also paying more than I would have to just to have the perks. I guess what I am asking is am I going over the top or is it acceptable since it's important to me?

[MsPeacock]

Cheaper/cheap is not always the best choice. If the amenities effect your ability to get good sleep and perform well at work, your general quality of life, and are priced so that you can meet your savings goals - then rent the better place. It isn't as if mustacianism means that you aren't "allowed" to rent a better place - it is about making good choices and accounting for them.

[StartingEarly]

That's kind of what I figured. At the extreme end of the spectrum it might cost $3600 a year more for the housing, but that can be paid for with a few hundred hours of overtime that I am more likely to work if I am relaxed and rested.

[Glenstache]

That's kind of what I figured. At the extreme end of the spectrum it might cost $3600 a year more for the housing, but that can be paid for with a few hundred hours of overtime that I am more likely to work if I am relaxed and rested.

Instead of cost... how many hours of your life are you willing to trade for it? To many on this board $300/mo difference is not much scratch. Being more willing to work a few hundred hours so you can have a place so you can be rested so you can work more to pay for a nicer place so that you can be rested so that you can work more so that you can pay for a nicer place.... and so on. How much more rested would you be if you had an extra day or two to go do things that you enjoy? I wouldn't advocate going for the absolute cheapest place, but consider how many hours of your life living in a house with a theater is worth to you. It is literally hours of your life you are trading for it. If it is worth it to you, then by all means grab the popcorn for a movie after a nice sweat in the sauna.

[MsPeacock]

If it is literally hundreds of hours it may not be worth it. As I said, it depends on your budget. You have to decide what works for you psychologically and financially.

[StartingEarly]

Well, there's more to it than that. The big thing is the quietness. It's a large house and the room is away from everyone. With apartments people are making noise all day, third shift is going to be a big enough adjustment as it is. I have been over to apartments before and I would never want to live in one. I hate the idea and the hassle of not having laundry in unit, which is not common. I hate not having a regular parking spot which is a hassle. Most have no garage space, or in the case of renting a room they're using the one garage space so I have no place to put my bike or vehicle.

For right now this is the only place I've actually been able to get a hold of someone at so far, the one for $300 had no details, so I'm sure it wasn't a great place. Most rooms tend to be at least 400 if not more, so the difference isn't huge.

It's not just a sauna and a theater. There is also a pool table, a large yard, a pool, hot tub and a bar. I would have a lot more things to do at home, so that would offset a lot of going out.

[StartingEarly]

Third shift is 10pm to 6am. I am not sure how I will be sleeping. My guess is I will probably sleep after work once I have eaten breakfast, but this is all new to me, I have never worked an off shift before. That would probably put me at sleeping from 8am until 4pm. I know what you're saying about maybe everyone will be gone when I am trying to sleep, but I can't really bank on that since I can't coordinate with 100 people, odds are against it. I am against apartments because you can hear what is going on in other units, not because of people in the same unit.

I don't have any debt at all, everything I own is paid for. I have substantial savings and retirement accounts from my past job exceeding 100k.

[pbkmaine]

Wherever you live, make sure you get or make blackout curtains for the windows.

[StartingEarly]

Yeah, I am sure I will have to do something like that, or maybe just put on a sleeping mask. I have had to sleep during the day before when I had to come in at 3am and stay for a while, that didn't seem like it was an issue.

[obstinate]

Do you have to sign a lease? Without knowing your income, it's hard to know what's reasonable, but it doesn't sound insane on its face.

[StartingEarly]

No, it's month to month.

[obstinate]

Then I'd say your downside is near zero. If this seems like it's worth the money, go ahead and do it. You can decide in a month or two whether it makes sense to downgrade. Advice only applies if you have no extant debt emergencies and are still able to save.

[former player]

New job, new city, new working pattern.  That's a lot to adjust to, and the biggest positive impact on your financial position will be adjusting to it successfully, which it sounds as though the more expensive room will be a big help with.  As others have said: if it's month to month and you are still cash positive even with the greater expense you have little to lose by taking the room you want.  Settle in, see how is goes, work out how your new finances are going, how shift work is going.  After a few months you can reassess to see how it is all working for you and make adjustments as necessary.  Good luck.