My girlfriend and I have been dating for almost two years now and I'll be coming to Mac in a couple of weeks. We both live in the GTA and she's a year younger, in grade 12, so we'll probably only be seeing each other on weekends for the next school year.

She plans on attending U of T in Mississauga when she finishes high school and we both really want to live with each other for a number of reasons. Seeing as how Oakville is in between Hamilton and Mississauga, we're thinking of renting an apartment in Oakville together with money we made from summer jobs and individually commuting to our respective universities every day (we both drive).

I found a lot of apartments there that are nicer and less expensive than the living spaces on-campus. However, I know absolutely nothing about the commute between Oakville and Hamilton. Does anyone else make this commute? Is this a practical idea?

Thanks.

Don't bother. Rent is expensive and you have to deal with crap like utilities and whatnot. If you really want to visit her, just commute back to Misssisauga for the weekend. Plenty of ppl commute just to go to school everyday from Mississauga to Hamilton. Save your money for something else

I think it is practical, especially if you both drive, driving from Oakville isn't bad. But this is going to happen next year so I don't think you need to think about it too much right now, just wait to see how this year goes to decide what you want to do.

Originally Posted by Leeoku

Don't bother. Rent is expensive and you have to deal with crap like utilities and whatnot. If you really want to visit her, just commute back to Misssisauga for the weekend. Plenty of ppl commute just to go to school everyday from Mississauga to Hamilton. Save your money for something else

I forgot to mention earlier, the other option would be for her to commute to UTM from Markham every day for university... so the distance would be Hamilton-Markham, and not Hamilton-Mississauga, of which the latter is a little easier due to bus availability/distance/etc.

I agree that worrying about utilities is a pain in the ass, but after a lot of research I found that in most scenarios splitting the cost of rent in a small apartment is cheaper than what I'm paying for res this year.

Yeah but there's also the option that you'll make friends that you might want to live with next year off campus. Depending on the price of what you find this is also cheaper than res.

I know, a lot can change in a year and right now it's probably a little early to be planning this.

We just started talking about this a lot recently and we got a little excited haha. Neither of us know much about these things so I thought I might as well ask other students at Mac for their opinions.

Sounds ridiculous to me

Why do you guys have to live together?
What happens if you guys break up sometime in the next 2 years? University changes things, a lot.
That kinda sounds like a huge waste of money also. Plus it's a year away. You have other things to worry about.
And you guys are ready to move in together? You can't possibly be at that stage in a relationship already. If you are, then you're way too young to be there.

No it's not practical. You should break up now before you inevitably find a better mate and have to break her heart at a later, more unnecessarily invested stage

Source: crashed and burned.

Originally Posted by andrejr

My girlfriend and I have been dating for almost two years now and I'll be coming to Mac in a couple of weeks. We both live in the GTA and she's a year younger, in grade 12, so we'll probably only be seeing each other on weekends for the next school year.

She plans on attending U of T in Mississauga when she finishes high school and we both really want to live with each other for a number of reasons. Seeing as how Oakville is in between Hamilton and Mississauga, we're thinking of renting an apartment in Oakville together with money we made from summer jobs sand individually commuting to our respective universities every day (we both drive).

I found a lot of apartments there that are nicer and less expensive than the living spaces on-campus. However, I know absolutely nothing about the commute between Oakville and Hamilton. Does anyone else make this commute? Is this a practical idea?

Thanks.

Oh come on now, we all know there is only one reason you want to live with her

I see a lot of you are pretty opposed to this idea. I completely understand where you're coming from, and, as I said, it's just an idea at the moment.

That being said, what would any of you recommend as a more cost-efficient alternative in terms of finding a place to live after first year?

Originally Posted by andrejr

That being said, what would any of you recommend as a more cost-efficient alternative in terms of finding a place to live after first year?

The most cost efficient method would be to NOT live together.
Live in Hamilton, and sell your car. You really don't need it. Learn to take the GO bus.
There's no way that GO bus tickets cost more than insurance and gas.

Student housing in Hamilton or Mississauga. One of you is going to have a longer commute.

Pick a place near one of your guys' schools. Its stupid to 'be half way' because you can completely eliminate one of your vehicles and save a ton of money. I don't know what the best advice would be, since I don't know what you two make, but this is at least a starting point.

I don't think moving in with your high school girlfriend who will be going to another school is a wise decision, but you should be the best judge of that.

Money spent commuting should be A LOT less than wasting money on an unnecessary vehicle, unless your workplace is not connected by transit.

It's most definitely NOT a practical idea, for the following reasons:

1. Are you never going to hang out with the new friends you make at Mac? It's going to be an awful hassle to have to go back to Hamilton every time you want to grab a coffee/hang out.

2. It's kind of dumb for both of you to go that far for school, when there are no financial benefits like rent. (It would make much more sense if your family was in Oakville, because then you'd at least be living rent-free, saving on food, etc.)

4. Fuck dude, do you have any idea how expensive an apartment for 2 people is? Again, not financially practical.

3. Breaking up is something you have to consider, since the statistics are highly against you. Let's say, best case scenario, the two of you have a stable, healthy relationship. I don't know. However, even if you are fantastic together, living together is nowhere near as easy as people seem to think it is, so you cannot ignore the high possibility of your relationship developing in ways different from what you expect after you move in together.

Should you break up, you will be financially/emotionally fucked. You will be stuck with a 12 month lease and it will be extremely straining to live with an ex. If you get a one-bedroom apartment? Even worse. You won't be able to sublet your half of the apartment to someone else, because there won't be a bedroom for the subletter.

(I would like to note that I do not hold the opinion that "long distance relationships don't work and you young people can't have long-lasting relationships, it's all puppy love, etc." I have been in a long distance relationship for 3+ years now, which started the summer before my grade 12 year.)

5. Dude, do you have any idea how cheap and quick the commute between Mississauga and Hamilton is? $9ish each way (student discount) and <1 hr ride? Do you know how much I envy you? Hamilton to London was $20 each way, >2.5 hr ride, and now he's in Windsor. Either $40, 6 hr bus ride, or $75, 4 hr train ride.

Your commute will be easy as fuck. It'll be fun, too. She can come over on weekends and you can explore Hamilton together--waterfalls, restaurants, Cootes Paradise, the Aviary. Bars, if you're into that. She could come to the Welcome Week concert. She can meet your new friends and shit, so she won't feel completely disconnected from new components of your social life. You can go home some weekends and visit her and family (two birds with one stone!), and when she visits you, you'll have your room in Hamilton for private sexytimes. Meanwhile, while you're apart, there's texting, calling, and Skype. Communication is absolutely key.

Srsly, I implore you to not go ahead with this plan. Long distance isn't bad, and if you've been together for two years and have a healthy relationship, I don't see it being a problem.

Originally Posted by andrejr

That being said, what would any of you recommend as a more cost-efficient alternative in terms of finding a place to live after first year?

A place close to either of your schools. Unless you have money to just throw around, would not recommend one apartment for the two of you. Move in together but with other people, it'll be fun and MUCH cheaper.


Sources: In an LD relationship for >3 years now. Watched a few others succeed long term, watched a lot of others crash and burn. Know people who tried to live with an SO for dumb reasons or started dating a roommate... results were not pretty.

There's like no positivity here! I'm moving in with my boyfriend(of three years) for First Year(he's almost two years older, so he'll be doing his final year of college) and I know my family has been very supportive simply because it'll save half on rent and basically everything else. I'd say wait the year out and see what happens, but if you can afford it, I'd say go for it! More cost effective than res without a doubt!