I’ve almost always lived with roommates. Some of them were great, and others, not so much. With some, we’d cook dinner together or go out, but with others, we wouldn’t talk for months. Obviously, the first scenario is pleasant, while the latter isn’t ideal.

When I moved to the UK in 2007, I ended up sharing a house with five other people. The landlord rented to anyone willing to pay, so we housemates didn’t know each other, barely talked, and didn’t get along well. I was tied to a six-month lease and couldn’t wait to move out.

However, I couldn’t afford to live on my own without seriously affecting my budget, which would delay my financial independence. So when it was time to move, I opted for a two-bedroom flat to share with my boyfriend and another couple. Financially, it was about the same as sharing that big house with six people, but it was a much nicer situation.

I could have chosen to live alone or just with my boyfriend. But a one-bedroom flat was about $700, while a two-bedroom flat was $900. So each couple paid $450, and we got a bigger living room, a nice kitchen, and shared utilities, taxes, and other house-related bills. In total, we paid about $600 monthly, whereas living on our own would have cost us $1000.

So, is it worth $400 a month to have a roommate? In our case, definitely. We were young; my boyfriend didn’t have a steady job, and I had just started an entry-level job and wanted to save for a house deposit. I could tolerate living with two other people for a few months.

If you prefer to live alone because you don’t like shared living, want your space, or need a workspace, you’re missing out on $400 a month or $4800 a year, tax-free. You might find it worth paying for the freedom to do whatever you want in your home. But for me, the small sacrifice of living with others helped me reach my savings goal faster.