<prompt> Human: Okay Reddit Im looking for some housing advice.Im 23F whos a full time student with a full time job 22,000 net pay, savings removed nbsp;Ive had 3 sets of roomates in my life. 1 2 acquaintances both F in a 3Bd 1.5Ba house. Didnt really see them much, and they were pretty decent roommates. 2 College dorm I shared a 2bd 1ba suite with 3 others 2 F, 1 non-binary. A bit more hectic but ok, most likely due to the fact that we had double sinks. The roommate who I share the bedroom with had a very different living style than me, but we managed to coexist. She became a good friend. 3 2 Friends-of-friends both M in a 3Bd 1Ba first floor convert apartment. Heres the issues. I know that I have a higher cleanliness standard than most people some would say clean freak, but I still dont find it unreasonable for people to keep access to the sink clear, and to not leave your dirty clothes everywhere. It was at least takeover so its over in a couple of months. nbsp; I guess Im giving all this backround information to say that I have had roommates in the past before. I feel like its not for me. But I live in a place where its kind of really expensive to live by yourself Chicago. How do I go about finding a place thats decent but also affordable? nbsp;Im not in the market soon because Ive been lucky enough to earn a resident assistant position my jr. Year but after that I dont know. I would love some guidance on the matter. Thanks. Tl;dr how do I afford to live alone in an expensive Market Chicago?  <response>: Sorry kid. A full-time college student living in Chicago kinda needs roommates. Living along is a luxury that at age 28 in Seattle I still cant afford lol. Alternatively you could look into studios, micro-studios, MIL units, living further out with longer commute times, taking out student loans to pay for higher 1 bedroom rents, etc. Its really all about your priorities and so far it sounds like you have prioritized affordable housing over other luxuries. 