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9 Things You Should Do To Make The Most Of Living With Your Best Friends

When you move away from your family, from dorm life, and from strangers so that you can move into a home with your best friends, your living environment can really blossom. No longer are you being fed rules that you’re unwilling to accommodate or being disciplined by someone watching over you. Now, you’re spending every day with the people you love to laugh with, cry with, and go out to parties with on Friday nights.

Those years that you spend in close quarters with your best friends go by quickly, so it’s best to take advantage of the companionship while you have it. Once you finish college or find yourself in a post-university relationship, you could be moving in with a special someone or living on your own. Those friendships from college will still be there, of course, but your days will certainly look different.

It’s important to soak up the memories and the advantages of having your besties there with you under one roof. There’s nothing else like it – we promise. Let us help you make that time extra special. 

  1. Have coffee together. 

    There’s nothing like starting your day off with good conversation, something on the television, and a few mugs of hot coffee. When you’re living alone, you’re missing out on that communication. When you’re living with a significant other or family member, it’s likely a different dynamic than what you’d get with your girls.

  2. Do little things to make life easier for each other.

    Bringing home fresh flowers, cleaning up after a busy weekend, buying your roommate’s favorite snack, or organizing her bobby pin collection when it gets out of hand – doing little things for your best friend is a great way to benefit from the living arrangement. You never get that kind of give and take when you’re rolling solo and you may not experience the same level of attentiveness to the little things when you live with your family or a significant other. Your girls just get you.

  3. Learn to cook.

    You all have to eat and there’s a good chance that at least one of you can kind of already cook. It goes without saying then that cooking together and getting really good at it is a great outcome from your living arrangement. Make weekly plans to meet up after work, turn on great music, and cook something delicious together. It’s a great time to catch up on what happened that week if you tend to miss each other in the morning.

  4. Snuggle.

    Some of the best roommate moments come from nights when one person doesn’t want to sleep in her bed alone. Don’t be afraid to snuggle with your girls during naptime or after a horrible day of classes, or even the night of a breakup. It’s like falling asleep next to your sister and it can make everything better. When you move out and live on your own, you’ll miss unconditional couch cuddling.

  5. Have your own happy hours.

    Once you’re 21, happy hours are found easily at your local bars and restaurants. Sometimes, though, you need your own happy hour. Forget all of the other people that you see in a busy establishment, forget the upcharge for your drinks, and forget coordinating a ride home. Pick up finger foods, wine, and bond together a few times a month after work before it even gets dark outside. There’s something awesome about having your own happy hour with your best friends.

  6. Watch a series you all love.

    One way to stay connected during school and into the next several years post-graduation is to fall in love with a long-running television show. Whether you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, Portlandia, or Pretty Little Liars, you’ll eventually find a show that you all enjoy and can watch together once a week. There’s something about a show like that that keeps people feeling in sync.

  7. Gossip and vent.

    You’re allowed to gossip with your friends. You shouldn’t harm anyone’s reputation or spread rumors, but chatting about your lives is just going to happen. Guess who doesn’t necessarily want to hear about your friend so-and-so, her boyfriend, and their disastrous relationship? Your boyfriend and your family. Take advantage of venting about your coworkers while you have people in your apartment who need you to hear them out, too.

  8. Create inspiration boards.

    Making goals and sticking to them can be difficult, whether you’re looking to get fit, save money, or become better at journaling. When you work with other people to reach those goals, they become a little bit easier. Make a point of creating inspiration boards for the living room and then hold one another accountable for your short and long-term plans.

  9. Never put a guy before them.

    One of the trickiest parts of living with your best friends is to remember that they are only going to be living in your home for so long. Eventually, you’ll be in a one-bedroom or studio apartment by yourself or living with a special somebody. Don’t miss out on having them around by holing yourself in your bedroom with your man all weekend or staying at his house every day after class. Split your time and you won’t regret how you spent it.