u/_bekku_

How did that work out?

Ideally, I'd love to find a larger house with some outdoor space or other perks that we could actually enjoy while still paying significantly less individually than we would renting on our own.

I'm really just looking to start a conversation with other adults who are sick and tired of putting so much of their income toward rent, building no equity, and barely having anything left over to save.

My dream is to find a small group of like-minded, responsible adults (individuals and/or couples) who would be interested in intentionally renting a larger house together and splitting the costs multiple ways for roughly two years. The goal wouldn't just be "find roommates." It would be to create a mutually beneficial living arrangement where we're all able to seriously save money and work toward our individual goals- whether that's buying a home, paying off debt, building savings, changing careers, or whatever comes next.

Obviously, compatibility, boundaries, cleanliness, finances, privacy, pets, guests, etc. would all need to be discussed extensively before anyone committed to anything. I'm not suggesting a random group of strangers sign a lease together next week. 😂 I'd want to actually get to know people and make sure everyone involved felt comfortable and secure.

I just keep thinking: housing has gotten ridiculously expensive, and so many hardworking people are spending an enormous percentage of their income simply keeping a roof over their heads. The way things are set up can make it incredibly difficult to get ahead individually.

Maybe there's an opportunity to do something differently.

If a few responsible people can create a small sense of community, pool resources where it makes sense, and drastically lower everyone's individual housing costs for a couple of years, maybe we can actually give ourselves some leverage to build the lives we're working toward.

I'm 40F, employed full-time, and have one cat. I'm primarily interested in Morris County or the surrounding area.

Anyone else ever thought about doing something like this? Would you actually be interested? I'd especially love to hear from people who have successfully done something similar.

I currently smoke the equivalent of ....hmm. A quarter of a joint a day? And I am quitting entirely (tomorrow will be considered Day 1). I already feel like shit all the time, so I'm hoping I won't super notice any especially shitty feelings due to quitting again. (I last stopped smoking for 3 months, about 4.5 months ago.)

Have I truly fried my brain? I have bad anxiety and cptsd and I'm continuing to work on it. At this rate, quitting weed won't make things worse, it will only help. I find myself struggling to hold an intellectual back and forth conversation these days. I don't know if it's the anxiety, the weed, or both. The weed likely keeps me in a state of perpetual "working things out" mode, and I have to be living more in the moment than that.

What's the hope here? I've got to navigate this all in a sincere attempt to break some destructive anxious patterns I consistently find myself in. I need to be better for myself and for my relationship.

Tomorrow. Day 1.

Come on, now! There's gotta be someone like-minded out there in a similar situation as I am in. If I could find someone as laid back and chill to live with, someone approachable who communicates well and is reliable- especially if you're into nature, arts, wellness, etc- MESSAGE ME! Ladies, men, nonbinary folks, trans folks, however you identify, be a good person and I'll like you! 100% LGBTQ+ friendly. Hope you are too!

Budget wise, the less we have to spend, the better, right?! Realistically, it's looking like a max of $1000 each for a 2bed/1bath if we are lucky, OR!!!! Around $1300 each maximum for a 2bed/2bath, + some utilities to split. The apartments I'm looking at/referring to include awesome amenities like a fitness center, outdoor pools, tennis court etc.

I'm trying to find a realistic path out of behavioral health into something adjacent that's more financially sustainable. I enjoy problem-solving, operations, project coordination, process improvement, relationship building, and helping organizations run more effectively. I'm considering paying for the SHRM-CP certification, but before I invest the time and money I'd love honest feedback: based on my background, is SHRM-CP likely to open meaningful doors, or would my time and money be better spent pursuing a different certification or career path? My goal is to reach at least an $80k salary in New Jersey (or remote), and I'm trying to make the smartest long-term decision rather than collecting certifications that won't meaningfully improve my prospects.

////

Career Summary:

B.A. in Psychology with 15+ years of experience across healthcare operations, behavioral health, county government, workforce development, patient care, and nonprofit leadership.

Currently work in county behavioral health, coordinating care across medical, housing, employment, and community systems while managing complex cases, documentation, compliance, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Previously worked in workforce development helping people with mental health challenges return to employment, where I developed career readiness programs and improved internal workflows.

Prior experience includes healthcare operations, patient access, insurance verification, emergency medicine, medical assisting, disability/life insurance claims, and supervising residential programs with 25+ employees.

Founded and currently lead a statewide nonprofit/community organization that has grown to 3,000+ members, organized 80+ events, built partnerships with 20+ organizations, oversees volunteers, marketing, operations, strategic planning, and is pursuing 501(c)(3) status.

////

Skills:

Healthcare operations • Program management • Project coordination • Staff leadership • Process improvement • Cross-functional collaboration • Community partnerships • Operations • Compliance • Data reporting • Training • Public speaking • Marketing • Volunteer management • Stakeholder engagement

/// Job titles I've had throughout my career, not all inclusive:

Founder & Program Lead (statewide nonprofit)

Case Manager

Career Development Specialist

Service Liaison

Operations Coordinator

Vocational Specialist

Group Life Claims Analyst

Residential Manager

Medical Assistant

Patient Care Technician

Emergency Department Medical Assistant

All skill levels welcome! Come play! Come cheer! Come watch! Check out "VentureOutNJ" on Instagram for more info!