From Business Insider · Sarah Gallucci · · 3m
A single mom and her friend share a home and save money
Sarah Gallucci, 41, asked her friend Jennifer to move in six months ago. The arrangement has given them both financial relief and an unexpected family bond.
In brief
Sarah Gallucci, 41, asked her friend Jennifer to move in six months ago. The arrangement has given them both financial relief and an unexpected family bond. A single mother and her friend moved in together to share expenses and save money, and found the arrangement brought them closer as a family. Originally reported…
A single mom seeks a financial reset
Sarah Gallucci, 41, is a single mother of two teenagers.She had planned to move to Paris but put her side hustles on hold.When the move fell through, she was stretched thin covering a mortgage alone.
Jennifer needed a change too
Jennifer, 49, was burned out from leading a media network and a mental-health nonprofit. She was single, living alone in an apartment with grown children, and shouldering all her expenses by herself.
They weren't close friends before
Sarah and Jennifer checked in on each other occasionally and went to dinner or a movie together every few months. But Sarah thought they would be ideal roommates because both are clean, organized, and responsible.
Jennifer moves in after two weeks
After two weeks of discussion, Jennifer moved in.Sarah's two teenage kids were fine with the decision.The first weekend together felt natural, with no awkwardness as Jennifer asked about shower schedules and the WiFi password.
The money math works for both
Sarah's mortgage is around two thousand dollars a month.Jennifer pays her five hundred dollars for rent.
Financial breathing room returns
Within a few months of living together, Sarah was finally able to save money again.She can now have dinner with girlfriends once a month or buy a book without feeling guilty.
“It's often said that living alone is a flex, but living with my friend has given me financial breathing room I wouldn't have had otherwise.”
Jennifer became part of the family
Jennifer takes a vested interest in Sarah's kids' well-being, offering rides to school, sharing snacks, and talking to them about their creative dreams and goals.
They've both given up some freedom
Sarah and Jennifer have a mutual rule that they don't bring men they're dating back to the house, out of respect for each other and for Sarah's kids' safety.
The future remains uncertain
Sarah and Jennifer have lived together for six months.Sarah is still in transition, picking up the pieces of a future she thought she'd have and re-imagining it.
Both say they'd do it again
Sarah and Jennifer don't know how long they'll live together. Regardless, both have said they'd do it again and would choose this arrangement over moving in romantically with a man.
Here's the gist
A single mother and her friend moved in together to share expenses and save money, and found the arrangement brought them closer as a family.
