My girlfriend wants to "waste" her rent money...

[jumpr]

My girlfriend is starting graduate school in D.C. this fall and she moved into her apartment about 1.5 weeks ago. She lives in a beautiful neighborhood in Georgetown and is paying about $1200/month for a 1-bedroom basement apartment.

However, she's incredibly homesick and lonely (I live about an hour away), and wants to spend 4 days a week this fall (on days she doesn't have class) at my apartment. She is basically paying $50 per day to live in her apartment when utilities are added in, so it would be an incredible waste of money. Before all this went down, she and I agreed that we'd switch off weekends - I'd spend one weekend in D.C. and she'd spend the next with me at my place.

I have plenty of room for her at my apartment and would love to have her around, but I would have to pick her up at the Metro station and drop her off each week, which is quite a hassle since I'm about 30 minutes from it on a good day. Plus, she can't afford to share my rent with me, even if she would be living here for four days each week.

So, I'm at a crossroads - should I let my girlfriend ostensibly "live" with me even though she can't afford rent and let her throw away her rent toward a beautiful apartment in Georgetown (remember, she's paying $1200/month in Georgetown)?

 

[John]

Honestly it sounds like she would be better off breaking her lease and commuting to school from your neck of the woods.

 

[jumpr]

Originally posted by: John
Honestly it sounds like she would be better off breaking her lease and commuting to school from your neck of the woods.

Ugh - that's a problem. She doesn't own a car anymore (she sold it when she came to D.C.)

 

[Acanthus]

Im sure with the $50/day shes saving she can pick up a car.

 

[GasX]

The fact that both of you pay rent is what will keep your relationship healthy

 

[John]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Originally posted by: John
Honestly it sounds like she would be better off breaking her lease and commuting to school from your neck of the woods.

Ugh - that's a problem. She doesn't own a car anymore (she sold it when she came to D.C.)

She can take the $1500 mo. savings and buy a new car, insurance, and still come out with money in her pocket.

 

[sunase]

I've seen people move in together early due to money considerations and their relationships tend to be a lot more stressful than when they each had a place to go back to. I would consider the money irrelevant as long as you have enough to live the lives you want (school, together time, etc.).

 

[DaiShan]

Her rent is a sunk cost and cannot be a part of your decision. It's already paid for, so if she lives there or not is irrelevant. Tell her the real reason you don't want her at your place.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: jumpr
My girlfriend is starting graduate school in D.C. this fall and she moved into her apartment about 1.5 weeks ago. She lives in a beautiful neighborhood in Georgetown and is paying about $1200/month for a 1-bedroom basement apartment.

However, she's incredibly homesick and lonely (I live about an hour away), and wants to spend 4 days a week this fall (on days she doesn't have class) at my apartment. She is basically paying $50 per day to live in her apartment when utilities are added in, so it would be an incredible waste of money. Before all this went down, she and I agreed that we'd switch off weekends - I'd spend one weekend in D.C. and she'd spend the next with me at my place.

I have plenty of room for her at my apartment and would love to have her around, but I would have to pick her up at the Metro station and drop her off each week, which is quite a hassle since I'm about 30 minutes from it on a good day. Plus, she can't afford to share my rent with me, even if she would be living here for four days each week.

So, I'm at a crossroads - should I let my girlfriend ostensibly "live" with me even though she can't afford rent and let her throw away her rent toward a beautiful apartment in Georgetown (remember, she's paying $1200/month in Georgetown)?

Her rent is a sunk cost. It shouldn't affect her decisionmaking.

 

[yowolabi]

Originally posted by: DaiShan
Her rent is a sunk cost and cannot be a part of your decision. It's already paid for, so if she lives there or not is irrelevant. Tell her the real reason you don't want her at your place.

What he said.

 

[SpunkyJones]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
The fact that both of you pay rent is what will keep your relationship healthy

:laugh:

 

[Eeezee]

Technically it will be slightly cheaper because she won't actually be using any of those utilities while she's gone. That's 4 days a week that she'll be saving money, so it's really not $50 per day with utlities. Regardless, she has a place to go back to whenever she wants, and that's the best part for her - on days that she has class, she can easily get to them from her apartment.

She really should NOT move to the OP's neck of the woods. Doing the commuting thing is a pain in the ass, especially when it's an hour's drive.

It sounds like the OP has some hidden motive behind not wanting her to stay over 4 days a week. Come on dude, half of the time you aren't even going to see her at all.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: jumpr
My girlfriend is starting graduate school in D.C. this fall and she moved into her apartment about 1.5 weeks ago. She lives in a beautiful neighborhood in Georgetown and is paying about $1200/month for a 1-bedroom basement apartment.

However, she's incredibly homesick and lonely (I live about an hour away), and wants to spend 4 days a week this fall (on days she doesn't have class) at my apartment. She is basically paying $50 per day to live in her apartment when utilities are added in, so it would be an incredible waste of money. Before all this went down, she and I agreed that we'd switch off weekends - I'd spend one weekend in D.C. and she'd spend the next with me at my place.

I have plenty of room for her at my apartment and would love to have her around, but I would have to pick her up at the Metro station and drop her off each week, which is quite a hassle since I'm about 30 minutes from it on a good day. Plus, she can't afford to share my rent with me, even if she would be living here for four days each week.

So, I'm at a crossroads - should I let my girlfriend ostensibly "live" with me even though she can't afford rent and let her throw away her rent toward a beautiful apartment in Georgetown (remember, she's paying $1200/month in Georgetown)?

how fvcking much is your place if sharing rent would cost her over $1200 a month? holy sh!t dude, maybe you're the one thats wasting money.

 

[mcvickj]

Originally posted by: jumpr
My girlfriend is starting graduate school in D.C. this fall and she moved into her apartment about 1.5 weeks ago. She lives in a beautiful neighborhood in Georgetown and is paying about $1200/month for a 1-bedroom basement apartment.

However, she's incredibly homesick and lonely (I live about an hour away), and wants to spend 4 days a week this fall (on days she doesn't have class) at my apartment. She is basically paying $50 per day to live in her apartment when utilities are added in, so it would be an incredible waste of money. Before all this went down, she and I agreed that we'd switch off weekends - I'd spend one weekend in D.C. and she'd spend the next with me at my place.

I have plenty of room for her at my apartment and would love to have her around, but I would have to pick her up at the Metro station and drop her off each week, which is quite a hassle since I'm about 30 minutes from it on a good day. Plus, she can't afford to share my rent with me, even if she would be living here for four days each week.

So, I'm at a crossroads - should I let my girlfriend ostensibly "live" with me even though she can't afford rent and let her throw away her rent toward a beautiful apartment in Georgetown (remember, she's paying $1200/month in Georgetown)?

I was following you until I got to this point. So your saying you are going to charge her rent for the 4 days a week she would be living with you?

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: jumpr
My girlfriend is starting graduate school in D.C. this fall and she moved into her apartment about 1.5 weeks ago. She lives in a beautiful neighborhood in Georgetown and is paying about $1200/month for a 1-bedroom basement apartment.

However, she's incredibly homesick and lonely (I live about an hour away), and wants to spend 4 days a week this fall (on days she doesn't have class) at my apartment. She is basically paying $50 per day to live in her apartment when utilities are added in, so it would be an incredible waste of money. Before all this went down, she and I agreed that we'd switch off weekends - I'd spend one weekend in D.C. and she'd spend the next with me at my place.

I have plenty of room for her at my apartment and would love to have her around, but I would have to pick her up at the Metro station and drop her off each week, which is quite a hassle since I'm about 30 minutes from it on a good day. Plus, she can't afford to share my rent with me, even if she would be living here for four days each week.

So, I'm at a crossroads - should I let my girlfriend ostensibly "live" with me even though she can't afford rent and let her throw away her rent toward a beautiful apartment in Georgetown (remember, she's paying $1200/month in Georgetown)?

I was following you until I got to this point. So your saying you are going to charge her rent for the 4 days a week she would be living with you?

he's talking about if she moved in with him. reading comprehension ftw.
besides, why shouldn't he charge her if she's going to be living there with him most of the time?

 

[Marinski]

i would have a car before an apartment. $1200/month for an apartment is ridiculous too. I guess it must be really nice and already furnished.

 

[Connoisseur]

Originally posted by: Marinski
i would have a car before an apartment. $1200/month for an apartment is ridiculous too. I guess it must be really nice and already furnished.

Not for city living. $1200 is actually a damn good deal. I work in NY and a price like that for a 1 br is impossible to find in or around the Manhattan area. I hear D.C. is about the same or worse.

 

[EyeMWing]

This can't end well. No student, graduate or not, should be paying $1200/mo on ANYTHING.

And frankly, I'm hard pressed to find anything in the entire DC metro area worth spending $1200/mo on. Some lucrative government job, maybe.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: DaiShan
Her rent is a sunk cost and cannot be a part of your decision. It's already paid for, so if she lives there or not is irrelevant. Tell her the real reason you don't want her at your place.

Her rent is NOT a sunk cost if she can break her lease for minimal penalty (less than the full amount), or if she can find a sub-lessee to take over her lease.