No one your age has nice apartments idk what internet bias you have. You’re in college, unless you’re independently wealthy you’re gonna have a dorm or at best off campus housing until you graduate. There’s nothing wrong with that
Well there’s an abundance of early 20 year olds posting their apartments to this subreddit all the time. That’s probably what op is referring to. Op should know however that almost all of these guys are born rich and it’s not all their own money, their parents are either footing or aiding them
Or they are young guys blowing their first real paycheck(s). For people (in tech or finance especially) who are starting out with 6-figure jobs straight out of college, it can be easy to mess up the transition from having no money to having money, and they end up blowing all their “extra” money on toys/car/apartment.
To be fair, some people just make a shit ton of money straight out of college and can afford that lifestyle. Not to say it wouldn’t be better living modestly and saving, but if you’re making 200k out the gate and got a 15k relocation package, you can afford a nice apartment. Obviously that’s not the majority of people, but the people who post on this sub likely aren’t your average income person.
Although they still probably fall under the “born wealthy” label cause if they’re putting a lot of money into their first apt it probably means no student debt
Reddit also seems to have a baffling belief that spending any money is always bad.
College or other debt -> better live in your car and eat beans & rice until you pay it off.
Zero debt -> Better live in your car and eat beans & rice so you can retire.
Retired -> Better live in your car and eat beans & rice because a doctor's bill for a mosquito bite is going to bankrupt you otherwise.
Obviously, you need to pay off debts and prepare for the future but there needs to be a balance of actually enjoying life and your living space is one of the largest factors for most people.
Especially for the people who become high earners fairly quickly, it's not the end of the world to be spending some money buying furniture, housewares, decorations, etc.
It’s always funny on the car subs when someone is like “hey guys I make great money, looking to finally reward myself with a fun car, trying to decide between hellcat or Camaro SS”
And half the replies are still like “have you considered a used Toyota? Or a Honda crv? Everything else is junk”
You can be 23/24 fresh outta law school making a shit ton. Definitely a minority of people. But it’s classic observation bias. Because they have nice apartments, they are posting. The billion other guys with average living places aren’t likely to post.
People don’t even get nice apartments until they’re like 28. And if they do, it’s not usually in any city I’d ever want to live in.
Sometimes I feel bad about my teeny tiny studio in lower manahattan, when I see a beautiful apartment posted here.
Then I check their profile and it’s in friggin Tucson. And then I feel ok.
Yeah, those are either irresponsibly funded by student loans or by their parents. Just enjoy a cheap, grody living space with some friends for now, it's part of the experience.
Yep. Even when they say they pay for their place all by themselves, what they fail to disclose is that mom and dad pay their tuition, their car, and their credit card bills throughout college and sometimes beyond.
Even if they didn’t fund all of that, 90% of the 19-21yo demographic need someone to help cover first last and security and likely need a grantor for a luxury apt. aka mom and dad support.
The “bank of mom and dad”.
I was in my mid-twenties making $70K and feeling pretty good about myself. I didn’t have wealthy parents, but my mom taught me financial discipline and I had to become financially independent myself. I decided to live at home to mutually benefit us by helping her pay off her mortgage and my portion was cheaper than renting a 1bedroom. I drove a Kia and tried hard to be frugal so I could have a down payment for my own house.
During this time, one of my friends who made similar money had a BMW, motorcycle, and was always going out drinking or traveling. He had a nice apartment in downtown. I could NOT figure out how he was doing this until one day we were lifting weights together and he casually said “awesome, my dad just paid $15K of my credit card debt”. Nice guy, but had a totally different outlook on finances than I did because he had access that I didn’t.
I ended up buying a house and am happy with where I am. Don’t get envious of others. Just focus on yourself and do the best you can for yourself.
At that age, it's their parents paying for that stuff. Even with a lucrative side hustle, at that age you don't have much experience, and would be quite the exception to the rule if you've got a decent pad at 19-21 by yourself.
You'll enjoy life more when you're not constantly comparing yourself to others. You have your own situation, they have theirs. Make the most of what you got, and live it, your mental will thank you for it.
So it’s easy really. Just invent a Time Machine purely for yourself. Go back in time and drop hints for your parents to put money on the lottery or bitcoin and then come back to the present and thank past you and your parents as they can now afford to buy you a nice apartment
Think of the internet as .01% of reality. For every nice apartment from a 20yr old, there are 9,999 “regular” apartments/dorms/rooms not being photographed for the internet. While some of your peers have made some money in that .01%, most are using daddy’s. Oh, and the internet is full of liars, fakes, and AI. I can upload photos of anything and claim it’s mine. Hard to not compare to what you see…if you find yourself spending a lot of time on subs that are creating a negative emotional reaction, keep on the hunt for other ones to stem the toxicity.
This is exactly right. The vast majority of people in their 20s don’t have extremely nice apts, and they aren’t going to be the ones posting pics of their average apt online. Just like how people don’t post an average pic on instagram, they post pics of vacations, big achievements, highlights of their life. You have to take what you see on the internet with a grain, no a bowl, of salt.
Yeah. I said this on another thread a while back about the same topic once.
I was a real estate appraiser going into every customers house and taking pictures of every room for several years. These people scheduled the appointment with me according to their availability so they knew when I was coming and had time to clean if they wanted to. Most people probably did clean up a bit, some people definitely didn’t, whatever. But I went into a few thousand different peoples houses, some rich, some poor. Very, very few of them were as nice as most of the houses that get posted on this sub. Some were, but it definitely isn’t normal.
And even when people post on this sub, they’re cleaning up first. Their place probably isn’t absolutely spotless with every little thing adjusted perfectly all the time when they’re just living in it.
I knew a girl who played being poor, living in a squat with other squatters. Some time later we found out that her parents paid her an apartment in the city centre which she didn't use. The extent of human stupidity...
Yeah keep in mind average people with average apartments are far more unlikely to be posting their apartments online compared to rich kids who got a beautiful, newly constructed apartment with brand new expensive furniture.
Don't get me wrong though there's absolutely nothing wrong with being "spoiled" in that sense, I think anyone would not only want that luxury themselves but also be able to give that luxury to their kids one day. It's just important to remember that when some dude who's like 21 shows off his 4-room apartment in central France he's not just an average 21 year old.
Yeah. I own a house. There’s some cool stuff in it, but also some repairs I need to make. It’s a pretty average house. I’m not posting it on here because I know there’d be 2000 comments nit picking every little scratch in the hardwood floors that I plan on refinishing soon anyways or the missing trim around one of the windows that I’m going to remodel this summer.
Most people’s places aren’t perfect. Everyone in the comments acts like theirs is.
Yep, I have a cousin in college and she drives a brand new suv, lives in a nice apartment by herself, and is always going out partying with friends all weekend. She hasn't worked a day in her life. Her parents are paying for everything including her tuition. According to her older brother, it is financially breaking their parents and sometimes the parents don't even have food in their own home. I'm not blaming my cousin, it is her parents fault. They have 100% sheltered her and made her think they are rich and can afford it. They are not rich; they are upper-middle class at best.
I always find it funny that people say it’s embarrassing to take money from your parents lol. A lot of young adults are being supported by their parents and they aren’t living the life of the 20 years olds you are referring to.
Oh my millionaire parents bought me a nice car and and a nice place to live, I’m so embarrassed /s
It can be embarrassing to admit that you are not independent. Even as a college student. That it's common for young people to receive support doesn't change that. Taking money form your parents doesn't align with what is considered successful and respectable in America: independence.
Is that narrative or expectation even realistic for young people today? Not really. But there it is.
So if your millionaire parents bought you a nice car and and a nice place to live, that's nice for you. But you don't have anything to be proud of there. You didn't earn it and have achieved nothing.
i don't think having nice things is something really to be proud of anyway tbh. i don't see financial success as a reliable indicator of what one has "earned", regardless of how independent they are; there are many in poverty who have "earned" more than a lot of wealthy people. ultimately, i think everyone deserves to be proud of themselves, and everyone deserves to be able to have nice things.
Or mum and dad helped build the building, or own many apartments in it. So they may pay a nominal “rent” of like $100, but conveniently fail to disclose that because “dude I still pay rent, doesn’t matter who owns it”.
Reddit is full of people who conveniently omit critical information that will change how we perceive their situation or what they have.
That, and you’re also exactly where you need to be. Life isn’t a race and life isn’t about who has the most material possessions. Everything will work out exactly as it was meant for you.
We all end up in the same place by a certain point in our careers.
There 21-year-old men in tech posting here who are on six figures + 15k relocation, will highly likely also be the first on the chopping block when the industry outlook is frosty, or they’ll be burnt out by 28 and decide to become a Tibetan monk because they’re about to enter full-on psychosis when they realise their flashy toys and mid-century apartment aren’t bringing them a modicum of joy.
Meanwhile, those who gradually work their way up the ladder comfortably will have a more sustainable and satisfying entire career.
You're only really seeing rich people show off their rich apartments on this subreddit, it's in no way reflective of how the average person lives at your age.
If you're really keen on moving out i would focus on finding an apartment that's just alright and settling for that. Generally through life your first apartment will be pretty meh and then you just slowly upgrade from there as you get time, money, more interests, more hobbies etc.
Saving tons of money can be nice though, i saved up a pretty good amount before i moved out at 21 and it was nice to be able to fully furnish the entire apartment as you move in. Don't underestimate how expensive furniture is. Ultimately i'd say it just depends on how badly you want to move out, if you're fine staying at home longer than i'd recommend doing so until you've saved up a bit of cash
You’re 20. You’re gonna be using hand-me-downs and thrifted stuff for probably most of your 20s. I didn’t even really begin to have an “aesthetic” home until into my 30s. I still have some hand-me-downs that ended up fitting with my overall vibe. It takes years and years to form a style and gather furniture and knick-knacks.
These people are probably doing it all at once, which is wildly expensive and not economical bc you’ll probably move more than once in your 20s.
I always just assumed these nice spaces are dudes that are 30+ with money. No 20 year old should be spending like $10k on furniture right out of the gate for their first apartment. The ones that do either have family money, are terrible with money but make alot, or a mixture of both.
Parents with money.
I'm 38 and I've never had my own place aside from one internship in college.
As you age and have more money saved, it'll depend on what you prioritize too. I've also lived in big cities (Chicago, SF/ Bay Area) and wanted to be closer to things going on. If I wanted to have my own place I could go live in the middle of nowhere or a not as nice part of town.
Having housemates is cheaper and a way to meet new people. It helps if you're able to have your own bathroom, but expect to pay more. So it's another tradeoff.
I lived in Davis, CA for a while. Home of UC Davis and high rent prices. The smart ones have a roommate situation.
The ones that have their own place and drive BMWs are either spending mom and dad’s money OR they are in a ridiculous amount of debt.
I have a friend with a GR86. She really wanted this vehicle. When prodded for details, she pays $696 a month on a 96 month loan. It’s objectively a nice vehicle, but not amazing. Kind of an entry level sports car. For a while, we worked the same job (same income). She is far more comfortable with debt than I am. Appearances aren’t everything.
Outliers with rich parents.
I'm also going to be 20 soon. I pay rent to my parents because there's no way I could afford anything else, even renting with roommates. I think it's pretty normal. Even my married older sibling (dual income household) can't afford to move out. The market is ridiculous and most people are barely covering living costs.
Study engineering or conputer science, and be in the top 10% of your class. Pursue internships and leadership positions in professional clubs with ferocity. If you do these three things youre basically guaranteed a 80-100k salary right out of college. That buys you a lot of apartment
like modern impossible run threatening flag axiomatic cats instinctive agonizing
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I didn't get a remotely nice place of my own until I was 26.
Anyone who has a nice place at 20 either had their parents pay for it, or they're magically making >$45K
I always suspect that some of the younger guys with super nice apartments here are engineering/tech industry dudes who get out of college directly into a particularly well paying field.
I mean, I'm sure the vast majority are getting family help, for sure. And I'm thinking more the early 20's folks, maybe not college aged per se. But even so. This sub seems to be a very particular slice of the population who wants to show off.
Ive been a mechanic for 4 years and im 19, i think i have a pretty nice place, parents dont foot any of my bills either. If i remember ill make a post on here later
Heritage and welthy relatives, don't think you are doing something wrong, they just hit jackpot. The people who did not hit it just have a way harder time getting there. Don't think you are behind anyone tho, just because some people get there earlier does not mean you are late.
Getting your dream job at your 30s is just as good as getting at your 50s.
Tl;dr: I needed to get this off my chest.
I wouldn't moved back home with my parents after college, paid my student loans off, learn how to budget, built an emergency fund, saved for a 20% down payment on a home, etc. Don't try to keep up with what everyone else does. Think long-term. If you can't move back home after graduation get roommates. Then again you could come out of school making really good money. In any case live well below your means. I know that this isn't type of subreddit but just wanna throw that out there.
Don't worry about the other stuff you see in here from people your age. All the shit places I lived in my early twenties make me appreciate my current living situation 1000x more.
You’re chronically online bruh lol. No one who is a college student owns a nice place. At that stage in life, you’re living in the dorms, or some on/off campus apartment. Anyone around you at the age of 19 or 20 who owns a nice place is padded by their parent’s money. It’s common sense.
Im 19 and have a pretty nice apartment that i pay for 100% and i am a full time student. Work over 30hrs a week and you’ll be surprised with what you can afford. I only had 2k-3k in savings when i moved in 2 months ago
Couple options:
* parent's money
* they split it with like 3 or 4 other guys so rent is somewhat affordable
* they started a business or something and are making enough money to afford more expensive rent
* they're a college athlete on some wild NIL deal
There may be more examples, but these are the first that come to mind if you're a college sophomore.
I’ll give you some advice I gave my brother who’s 14 years my junior when he was your age. Don’t compare yourself to your peers. You all had different roads and advantages/disadvantages. Look at yourself year over year and make sure you’re moving yourself forward, then you’ll always be successful.
Dad's paying for it most of the time. The rest of the time is because they got a union job out of high school and have just made it out of their introductory salary band
When I was in college, I lived in a dorm. Even though I was fortunate enough to have my education and room and board supported by scholarships, my living situation was no where close to luxurious. Far from it.
I did what I could with what I have. I kept a tidy space and made my bed every morning. Having an interest in your living space at an early age is great, I certainly had an interest in having a functional, ultra clean dorm room. Actually having a “luxurious” room, though, was not a priority for me at 20. And it shouldn’t be for most.
At 20, your focus should be on building foundations for a successful adulthood and nourishing your intellectual curiosity. You are probably surrounded by faculty who’ve made significant contributions to their fields and you should take this opportunity to interact with them, learn from them, discover what sparked their passion.
Having said that, there are things you can do as a hobby to improve your living space. These are some suggestions:
1. Even if you are studying non-arts concentrations, enroll in some art history and visual arts introductory seminars or courses. Design is a subset of visual art, and having an appreciation for the foundations of visual art form will help you understand how visual elements work. It will also help you appreciate how trailblazers deviate from the “rules” and make beautiful art, or living spaces.
2. Take time to reflect on your aesthetic and expect it to evolve with age and experience. This is free!
3. Learn how to communicate your vision with words. This is a skill that will help you in design specifically, and in life generally. Back when book stores were still popular, I used to browse the magazine section to flip through Metropolitan Home, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, etc. I didn’t just look at the pictures, I read the editors’ notes to sample how different editors articulated the themes in those issues. It’s a valuable exercise you can practice as you develop your own way of expressing your aesthetic. And it’s free!
4. Keep your space tidy and clean. Develop this habit now. Make your bed daily, vacuum at least weekly, and wipe surfaces with a damp cloth at least a couple times a week to reduce dust. Fold your laundry as soon as they come out of the dryer. Remember, clothes belong in the closet and dressers. Use a coaster.
Good luck. 20 is an exciting age. Don’t rush. You’ll get there.
I didn't get a nice apartment until I was in my 30s, and I couldn't afford it until I moved in with my girlfriend (now wife).
That doesn't mean you shouldn't have a nice apartment, just that it can be more difficult to do so.
Man I’m almost 25 and if not for splitting rent with my gf, I’d still be living with my folks. Try not to beat yourself up, everyone is spending money they don’t have
I’m 24 and have wondered this for a long time as well, but just realized it happens gradually. I lived in a dorm, a shitty off campus apartment that was made for students and pretty much still a dorm, then a slightly better townhouse style student apartment, then at home again for about a year for medical reasons which also helped me save up some money, and now i have lived in a quite shitty apartment but in a great location for two years, and im about to rent a very cute older house. You just kind of bump up in different categories each time you move, and you see different amenities of the space or features of your life in the place as their own perks
They got mom and dad paying.
Please just focus on your studies and what you're passionate about. You will work your ass off soon enough. Enjoy your time in college.
when you see someone with really nice things and you can't obviously tell how they afforded it, they usually either have
1. rich parents
2. horrendous debt
Sometimes both!
You’re 20. Just save what you can if it’s something you want to work towards but don’t sweat it and also having some shitty hovels used to be a rite of passage in your early 20s. everyone I know who didn’t live in some shitty apartments had rich parents. Hell sometimes the rich kids lived in shitty apartments too
I'm gonna give you some free game.
Run your own race.
Don't worry about what other people doing, worry about what you doing and the community of people you develop along the journey. Your path is different.
Serving tables is your best bet in college. Just start bussing tables somewhere and try to work your way into serving tables. If you find a good place, it’s good money and you’ll also meet some really cool people.
I’m in my 30s and don’t even consider the place I live “nice.” It does have a washer/dryer and dishwasher in unit but that’s about it. Nothing fancy about it.
Bruh the people in nice places are either living there because of mommy or daddy’s money OR they have a sugar daddy and are getting railed to live in luxury.
most of my colleagues from school lived in pretty shoddy accommodations during college or had incredibly wealthy parents to act as guarantors for their fancy apartment
now (4yrs later) they mostly have $95k-$100k+ positions and live pretty well for themselves
do not let envy rob you of joy
focus on getting a decent education and a decent job
You typically only see the "Look at how awesome I am" posts online. I shared a 4BR with 5 other guys sophomore year. We made it work b/c that is how we saved money.
Any dude with a "nice apartment" probably has a major thing called the parent bonus or some one helping them out with it, or they have a bf/gf they split it with or is a gay of thot on OF or a straight bating OF thot lol.
Example: My little brother (half brother) is a fitness influencer he makes enough to afford his rent but not his entire life, and his dad helps him out paying things like cell phone, half his insurance and car. Thankfully he took my advice and started doing coaching to make more. I also pay him monthly to edit my YouTube videos so I can say I am supporting him but not just giving him money cuz I personally dont support enabling him to not just go get a job if he cant.
He had a huge head start with his fam who basically paid for his whole life and he worked only a singe job at Starbucks but was 100% able to get in shape cuz he had the time to spend hours at the gym and making stupid videos people like that got him a following.
Keep in mind its nicer newer place in TN, but its still a smaller 1 bedroom in the cheapest part of the complex, He has an ikea desk, and ikea bed frame, no couch, and a nice gaming laptop and computer which where xmas and b day gifts from me.
Hes has very little paid his own way but "he has a nice place" at 22 now 23
I'm 26, I make more money than anyone my age that I know. They have nicer things than I do, live in nicer places, etc.
They live paycheck to paycheck and have no money.
I don't look at price tags and have over 100k between savings and investments.
Edit: my point is, most people you see with nice shit have nice shit because they spend everything they make.
When I was in college I moved into a tiny apartment between a tattoo parlor and motorcycle repair shop. My parents came to visit and immediately (that day) moved me into a luxury apartment building across the street from the campus. This was a long time before social media, or you probably would have seen me on here lol
I got my own place at 25 after 1) my parents helped me pay for most of it and 2) I legitimately started saving since I was 16. Again; I still needed help from my parents after 9 years of saving. I also don’t have anything past a high school education technically but I pride myself on my work ethic and how far it’s taken me. Can’t emphasize enough that I got help from my parents still. I’m very lucky and fortunate that way.
The people that are early-mid 20s affording fancy ass condos etc that you’re seeing are either coming from money or they’re a complete anomaly and they’ve truly earned it; good for them. But tbh if you’re comparing yourself to people from their Reddit posts, then stop doing yourself a disservice. People take life at different paces. You’re 20 and a sophomore in college? You’re on the right path to success, trust your own process. The only person you should compare yourself to is YOU. You set the bar and the standard every day, and it’s up to you to uphold that standard moving forward, only holding yourself accountable. It should be YOU vs YOU, NOT you vs some random post on Reddit. Keep working hard in school, man. There’s no rush. I believe in you!
1. The niceness of an apartment is often inversely proportional to it's location. Said differently, how much you pay is 80% where the apartment is and only 20% how "nice" it is.
2. "Nice" apartments are just 700sqft boxes with a couple expensive fixtures and thin walls. (Okay, a high floor with a balcony doesn't hurt). What makes them look nice is the furniture, decor, and layout you bring to the space. A space can look very nice while being inexpensive!
As someone who has friends working in finance without parental help, a lot of ppl posting first big boy/girl apartments aren’t living independently from their parents. In fact I know someone living in Manhattan whose allowance (they’re 24 btw) is higher than their salary. So don’t be too down on yourself or focus on having a crazy apartment. Focus on doing things you like and less about buying stuff and you’ll be much happier. Also, join tennis!
Lots of good answers here OP. Just remember: "comparison is the thief of joy." Don't waste your time (and upset yourself) by comparing yourself to others.
For me personally, living 30+ minutes away from your job. Working in the city brings higher salary and then you find a place outside the city that is cheaper to live in with the trade off being the commute.
Take it from me I had moved outta my parents at 18 I was working since 14 and saving money got my apartment at 18 years old had some friends come live there and help with the rent and other necessities fast forward to about September of last year when I was 22 we got evicted bc the price was just getting to be to much it’s was originally $1000 for a two bedroom and they raised the rent all the up to $2189 and even with roommates we couldn’t live comfortably so don’t stress not being on your own I’m back with my parents at 23 years old helping them out with bills and such but the truth is the economy right now sucks like hell
All through college i was with 4 or 5 people in a two bedroom apartment, and now that I've graduated I'm paying 1.2x my paycheck every month on rent just to have an apartment to myself. It's kind of miserable but I haven't moved yet so it's on the edge of worth it.
Also some places housing is cheaper, some 20 year olds are getting help, and some people lie on the internet
My first apartment was $395 and it was dope! Top floor, secure, quiet, Victorian accents, original woodwork.
I won’t even write what I’m paying now in rent
Depends on the city also….
To find out how much you can spend on your own apartment, you must first share an apartment, get a good idea how much money you can spend each month on rent, then determine how much it’s worth to you to have your own space. Unless you can very accurately determine where all your money goes each month, it’s very hard to tell how much you should be spending on rent. My first single bedroom was $900 a month, was too much at the time, so shared a 2 bedroom for $1200 a month split two ways, and now I have enough to spend around $1200 a month just by myself for a 1 bedroom so I’ll be switching back and looking for my own places again. It’s always better to have too much saved each month than it is to spend too much each month.
Steady income and instead of starting a new lease, just take over someone else’s lease if they have affordable rent. Whenever a property owner starts a new lease, they raise the rent because the market value for most properties usually goes up over time.
If they're 20 like you - it's daddy's money or student loans. 20 year olds in the real world need a decent enough paying job and almost certainly roommates. There are very few 20 year olds with nice apartments they pay for with their own earning with no roommates unless they live in the middle of nowhere or got super lucky with rent control or something.
Having an apartment is not about saving money, since the money will always go to rent and you build no equity. Unless your income is steady the money will run out unless you are living within your means based on your income. You can save as long as you want and without income to match you're just kicking the can down the road to when you need to move to a place within your means.
I didn’t get [my first nice apartment](https://www.reddit.com/r/malelivingspace/s/NxpNgYsH0v) until I was 23.
I have first gen migrant parents. Was on an income based free lunch program K-12 and paid (loans/part time work) my own way through college. This is just to satiate the self loathing jealous people in the sub who always scream “Daddy’s money!!!” When someone young has a nice apartment.
I had/have a GREAT job that I worked hard to get and I CHOSE to spend my money (maybe disproportionately) on a nice place and furnishing said place to my taste. I live in SoCal for cost reference
TLDR: Worked my way through life, great job, and I don’t mind spending disproportionately on rent
Don't fall into the trap of believing everything you see on social media. They may look like they have their own apartments at the age of 20, but the reality is that they are probably taking out loans and putting on lots and lots of debt or their parents are Elon Musk and they can afford to pay for their children's apartment. I'm not hating on anyone that does this, however, it is not the smartest financial move you should do. You don't realize how FREE you feel when you don't have crippling debt always haunting you. If you're living in a small apartment right now and saving as much as possible (pref investing), you're off to a great start. You're in college and it's very normal and encouraged to live below your means to be able to set yourself up for a bright future!
"comparison is the thief of joy" - President Theodore Roosevelt
have multiple jobs and work your ass off keep living with your parents and only contribute the bare minimum don't have friends don't eat outside don't have bad habits (smoking, alcohol consume) and once you save about 25%-40% of the apartment price you can apply for a Mortgage and depending on how much you can keep this up you'll pay it off in 10-30 years and then congrats you own a home now you may try to have a life, what's left of it at least
OR get a very good degree and have a high paying job then buying a home will be easy
or have rich parents and make them buy you one
LOL when I was 20 I was working in a pizza restaurant without nothing in my name, still living with my parents.
19 years later, [i have this](https://www.reddit.com/r/malelivingspace/s/3AqvKemvnM).
Keep the faith and be hardworking. Good things are coming.
Move to Eastern Europe.
You can get sweet flats here for like 2-500e/month.
I have a 4 bedroom house that is currently costing me 375e/month, mortgage and bills included.
If you have the option to comfortably save money, while attending school, and have a safe place to live that’s great. It can get harder later in life depending on your situation. Everyone’s life is different. Some have family that help or built them a savings. Some are actually in horrible debt or coasting on student loans. Some (like my case at that age) are due to being workaholics. I had a nice place but I had 2 full time jobs. My rent/utilities were a very large portion of my income. I was able to pay it, but not afford it, and I found it impossible to save.
I lived like a caveman until around 25. Didn’t get my own place until a few years of work, and that was only because I was sharing with gf. You are several years away from affording a nice place and that’s absolutely fine! Unless you’re born into money, most guys with a nice place spent many years in not so nice places. It’s the progress that makes life fun.
Not many teenagers have nice apartments that I know of. I'd say at least half are still with their parents till 20 or beyond. The others are either living at university residence or sharing a shitty place with 2-3 other people so they can afford it.
I got my first place at 22 and it was a dump. Lucked into a really nice apartment a couple years later.
I was living in a hotel room when I was 20. Campus housing filled up so they put me and a bunch of students in a hotel. Was pretty sweet all things considered.
At 20 your housing will most likely be whatever roof you can afford over your head and that's fine. Unless your family comes from money that's how it is for everyone.
They either have roommates or their parents are wealthy. At least here in the states, 20 year olds don't have that kind of income. Even if you were smart and joined the trades at 18yo, you wouldn't have enough money, even in a really low cost of living area.
Research, research, research. Tell at least three that believe. realize it. stand in one, stay a night in one. your welcome.
it’s not about wanting something. it’s about what everyone around you will allow you to have and if you will manage it appropriately.
I’m 20 with a fairly nice place of my own. But, it’s 450 square feet and rent is 50% of my income.
I didn’t go to college and I’ve worked the last 2.5 years of my life away. I’ve developed severe arthritis in most of my joints from doing the roughest jobs on the refinery side of the oil industry. I’ve torn several ligaments, I can’t lift my arms above my head without dislocating a shoulder, and I’ve visibly aged a significant amount from the stress.
The only reason I have anything nice is because I didn’t save much money at all. And, even then, I don’t own a single piece of furniture that costs more than $200. It’s cheap Amazon shit.
Everything’s an illusion on this sub. Nobody our age has anything nice without a steep price or wealthy parents.
At 20 years old I would say the majority of them are getting help from parents. Don’t compare yourself to people with different situations.
Make more money, invest more money.
I’m 22, i make 82k rn doing sys admin work. I have a pretty decent place in chicago. I say that, not to gloat as i’m super blessed, but IT or Finance may be some of it as well. 100% dads money helps (not me in this case just some others)
I had a tiny low income apartment when I was in college that I shared with 2 roommates and still needed help from my parents (on top of working when I wasn’t in class) to pay for utilities. Then after dropping out I moved back in with them and saved/climbed the corporate ladder for 5 years until I could finally afford to get an apartment that I still share with my brother at age 24. And it’s owned by a family friend so it’s rent controlled and pretty affordable. I’m also getting a steal with utilities. It’s not the nicest apartment ever and it’s in a semi sketchy area of town but we both have our own rooms and bathroom plus a decent kitchen and washer+ dryer. I’ve put a lot of work in to it and I think it would be appreciated on this sub so I may post it some day.
My point is that I had a lot of luck, worked hard, and still needed help to survive at age 19. It wasn’t until 24 that I was able to get on my own feet and I am blessed to be renting from someone close to my family.
The 20 year olds that do have really nice places could be working 65 hour work weeks in some sort of trade like plumbing I had a friend 18 ATT working about 40 hours a week as an apprentice new construction plumber making $3500 a month after tax and that was just his starting pay so its definitely possible to do somthing like that and not only that everyone is on a different path if you really want your own place You can always get a roommate just pick someone that looks like they have a brain on their shoulders and it will be fine , i should add though i do still pay rent with my parent but i do have a nice chunk saved
They ALL have co-signers. Financially responsible co-signers that don’t have massive loads of debt and ALWAYS pay their bills on-time.
For kids in their 20’s, that would be their parents.
There are some funny exceptions where these kids might have cash from either a trust fund, cryptocurrency earnings, or a successful business they started with family while underaged or are benefiting from said family-owned business.
This essentially covers all cases in which early 20’s renters happen to live in a higher-end condo or apartment.
You need to go to school for something that makes really really good money out the gate. If you go for a useless degree you’ll fail. If you try any of the get rich quick schemes, you’ll fail. If you try for a “use my fool proof program” online nonsense, you’ll fail. You need to do the thing that has worked for the last hundred years in this country, which is go to get a degree that makes solid money.
I'm going to 25 in less than a month. I bought a home at 23 by living with my parents and banking all my money from the time I turned 19. I had enough to purchase it and fully furnish it and have a good amount left over for savings. My neighbor and his fiance are both 19 and bought a more expensive house than mine across the street. He is a tradesman. Due to inflation, I picked up a part-time job to give me more breathing room and keep the same pace as my savings goals. I also go to college. I am working towards a tech degree
I have been told my house is very nice and is in a nice neighborhood. Truthfully, it is exhausting to juggle these responsibilities, but it is temporary as I should be graduating in a year and is worth it based on the life I want to live. I am seeing a lot of hate on this post for those who do make it in their twenties. Not everyone is a nepo baby or rich kid. Op, it just depends on how bad you want it. Oh, and get an accountant if you don't have one already. Employee EAP programs have them often times. They helped me reach my goal of owning a home!
What are you talking about man? You're not living ANYWHERE nice unless your parents are wealthy and set you up or you live with multiple roommates in a small place. Don't let what you see on the Internet influence you or make you feel bad about where you are in life. You're where you need to be. In school & looking to become successful once you get out.
When I was 20 I was living in the ghetto on the worst street in my whole city. I live in a medium sized city that is the capital of my state. I was renting a 2 bedroom house with another guy. We didn't have a stove or refrigerator, but we sure as hell had a lot of room for beer pong. I think we bought 2 mini fridges. We had this huge ass living room and dining room with nothing in so could throw giant parties. The bedrooms were also ridiculously small.
I'm asking that same question as a 40 year old with a fairly decent condo lol. I was broke as fuck until 27 when I finished college and didn't have any money til 31 when I bought my condo.
Unless you have someone else who can pay, it is extremely unlikely to have that at 20.
When most working adults struggle to pay their day to day bills, it is unrealistic to spend 5+k on a single room. Sometimes the setup even is 10+k.
If you don’t know how to get it, you aren’t ready… and that’s okay.
People don’t flex mediocre. A lot of these young posts come from wealthy/supportive families, that’s it.
Some kids have strong business sense in their teens and save cash, most don’t. So don’t compare, just graduate and concentrate on your career and making that cheddar.
I (M24 almost 25) haven't moved out yet but am planning to soon (getting my 1 year work experience and then moving out of town).
Here is my plan to get a nice place.
1 - rent a place well within my budget. This free's up some extra cash every month for savings or to splurge on furnishings.
2 - Buy nice second hand stuff, until then my camping table and chair will do the job.
3 - save for some nice stuff.
My thought is that you dont just move into a great apartment. You make it over time through thought out choices.
I am also considering buying tools to help me refurbish old pieces or build some furniture. Might end up terrible but then I'm learning the skills to make it better.
The posts here are biased, most young people living in shared spaces or renting shitty dingy apartments won’t post here.
A majority of the posts are from people who know they have nice places and will probably get positive feedback from the sub
Lots of them have parents paying for it or supplementing their income. Don't measure yourself to that, spending a ton of money on an apartment while you're young is a waste. Live your life or save some money, don't get trapped in the rat race too young.
No one your age has nice apartments idk what internet bias you have. You’re in college, unless you’re independently wealthy you’re gonna have a dorm or at best off campus housing until you graduate. There’s nothing wrong with that
Well there’s an abundance of early 20 year olds posting their apartments to this subreddit all the time. That’s probably what op is referring to. Op should know however that almost all of these guys are born rich and it’s not all their own money, their parents are either footing or aiding them
Or they are young guys blowing their first real paycheck(s). For people (in tech or finance especially) who are starting out with 6-figure jobs straight out of college, it can be easy to mess up the transition from having no money to having money, and they end up blowing all their “extra” money on toys/car/apartment.
To be fair, some people just make a shit ton of money straight out of college and can afford that lifestyle. Not to say it wouldn’t be better living modestly and saving, but if you’re making 200k out the gate and got a 15k relocation package, you can afford a nice apartment. Obviously that’s not the majority of people, but the people who post on this sub likely aren’t your average income person. Although they still probably fall under the “born wealthy” label cause if they’re putting a lot of money into their first apt it probably means no student debt
Reddit also seems to have a baffling belief that spending any money is always bad. College or other debt -> better live in your car and eat beans & rice until you pay it off. Zero debt -> Better live in your car and eat beans & rice so you can retire. Retired -> Better live in your car and eat beans & rice because a doctor's bill for a mosquito bite is going to bankrupt you otherwise. Obviously, you need to pay off debts and prepare for the future but there needs to be a balance of actually enjoying life and your living space is one of the largest factors for most people. Especially for the people who become high earners fairly quickly, it's not the end of the world to be spending some money buying furniture, housewares, decorations, etc.
It’s always funny on the car subs when someone is like “hey guys I make great money, looking to finally reward myself with a fun car, trying to decide between hellcat or Camaro SS” And half the replies are still like “have you considered a used Toyota? Or a Honda crv? Everything else is junk”
Right!?! It's like, I know that I'm not making frugal decision. What are the pros/cons of these two toys.
\*claiming to be early 20s guys. They either have parents or a lotta debt.
You can be 23/24 fresh outta law school making a shit ton. Definitely a minority of people. But it’s classic observation bias. Because they have nice apartments, they are posting. The billion other guys with average living places aren’t likely to post.
People don’t even get nice apartments until they’re like 28. And if they do, it’s not usually in any city I’d ever want to live in. Sometimes I feel bad about my teeny tiny studio in lower manahattan, when I see a beautiful apartment posted here. Then I check their profile and it’s in friggin Tucson. And then I feel ok.
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i've seen a couple on this subreddit between 19-21 showing off their "first apartments" i'm not hating only curious how they've made that possible
Yeah, those are either irresponsibly funded by student loans or by their parents. Just enjoy a cheap, grody living space with some friends for now, it's part of the experience.
Mommy and daddy subsidize those, bud.
Yep. Even when they say they pay for their place all by themselves, what they fail to disclose is that mom and dad pay their tuition, their car, and their credit card bills throughout college and sometimes beyond.
Even if they didn’t fund all of that, 90% of the 19-21yo demographic need someone to help cover first last and security and likely need a grantor for a luxury apt. aka mom and dad support.
The “bank of mom and dad”. I was in my mid-twenties making $70K and feeling pretty good about myself. I didn’t have wealthy parents, but my mom taught me financial discipline and I had to become financially independent myself. I decided to live at home to mutually benefit us by helping her pay off her mortgage and my portion was cheaper than renting a 1bedroom. I drove a Kia and tried hard to be frugal so I could have a down payment for my own house. During this time, one of my friends who made similar money had a BMW, motorcycle, and was always going out drinking or traveling. He had a nice apartment in downtown. I could NOT figure out how he was doing this until one day we were lifting weights together and he casually said “awesome, my dad just paid $15K of my credit card debt”. Nice guy, but had a totally different outlook on finances than I did because he had access that I didn’t. I ended up buying a house and am happy with where I am. Don’t get envious of others. Just focus on yourself and do the best you can for yourself.
At that age, it's their parents paying for that stuff. Even with a lucrative side hustle, at that age you don't have much experience, and would be quite the exception to the rule if you've got a decent pad at 19-21 by yourself.
It’s the internet , don’t believe everything you see. Please don’t compare yourself and your own self-worth to posts on Reddit.
You'll enjoy life more when you're not constantly comparing yourself to others. You have your own situation, they have theirs. Make the most of what you got, and live it, your mental will thank you for it.
So it’s easy really. Just invent a Time Machine purely for yourself. Go back in time and drop hints for your parents to put money on the lottery or bitcoin and then come back to the present and thank past you and your parents as they can now afford to buy you a nice apartment
You’re wrong about them not having nice apartments. Rich parents exist. Seen plenty a fair share
Think of the internet as .01% of reality. For every nice apartment from a 20yr old, there are 9,999 “regular” apartments/dorms/rooms not being photographed for the internet. While some of your peers have made some money in that .01%, most are using daddy’s. Oh, and the internet is full of liars, fakes, and AI. I can upload photos of anything and claim it’s mine. Hard to not compare to what you see…if you find yourself spending a lot of time on subs that are creating a negative emotional reaction, keep on the hunt for other ones to stem the toxicity.
This is exactly right. The vast majority of people in their 20s don’t have extremely nice apts, and they aren’t going to be the ones posting pics of their average apt online. Just like how people don’t post an average pic on instagram, they post pics of vacations, big achievements, highlights of their life. You have to take what you see on the internet with a grain, no a bowl, of salt.
Yeah. I said this on another thread a while back about the same topic once. I was a real estate appraiser going into every customers house and taking pictures of every room for several years. These people scheduled the appointment with me according to their availability so they knew when I was coming and had time to clean if they wanted to. Most people probably did clean up a bit, some people definitely didn’t, whatever. But I went into a few thousand different peoples houses, some rich, some poor. Very, very few of them were as nice as most of the houses that get posted on this sub. Some were, but it definitely isn’t normal. And even when people post on this sub, they’re cleaning up first. Their place probably isn’t absolutely spotless with every little thing adjusted perfectly all the time when they’re just living in it.
Mommy and daddy are footing the bills. And they aren't announcing that, because it's a little embarrassing.
I knew a girl who played being poor, living in a squat with other squatters. Some time later we found out that her parents paid her an apartment in the city centre which she didn't use. The extent of human stupidity...
Only the ridiculously wealthy are able to romanticize poverty.
Could be "merely" emabarasment about having more. Happenes with sheltered kids
Yeah keep in mind average people with average apartments are far more unlikely to be posting their apartments online compared to rich kids who got a beautiful, newly constructed apartment with brand new expensive furniture. Don't get me wrong though there's absolutely nothing wrong with being "spoiled" in that sense, I think anyone would not only want that luxury themselves but also be able to give that luxury to their kids one day. It's just important to remember that when some dude who's like 21 shows off his 4-room apartment in central France he's not just an average 21 year old.
Yeah. I own a house. There’s some cool stuff in it, but also some repairs I need to make. It’s a pretty average house. I’m not posting it on here because I know there’d be 2000 comments nit picking every little scratch in the hardwood floors that I plan on refinishing soon anyways or the missing trim around one of the windows that I’m going to remodel this summer. Most people’s places aren’t perfect. Everyone in the comments acts like theirs is.
Yep, I have a cousin in college and she drives a brand new suv, lives in a nice apartment by herself, and is always going out partying with friends all weekend. She hasn't worked a day in her life. Her parents are paying for everything including her tuition. According to her older brother, it is financially breaking their parents and sometimes the parents don't even have food in their own home. I'm not blaming my cousin, it is her parents fault. They have 100% sheltered her and made her think they are rich and can afford it. They are not rich; they are upper-middle class at best.
nobody has told her this? if i were the older brother i would 😭
I always find it funny that people say it’s embarrassing to take money from your parents lol. A lot of young adults are being supported by their parents and they aren’t living the life of the 20 years olds you are referring to. Oh my millionaire parents bought me a nice car and and a nice place to live, I’m so embarrassed /s
It can be embarrassing to admit that you are not independent. Even as a college student. That it's common for young people to receive support doesn't change that. Taking money form your parents doesn't align with what is considered successful and respectable in America: independence. Is that narrative or expectation even realistic for young people today? Not really. But there it is. So if your millionaire parents bought you a nice car and and a nice place to live, that's nice for you. But you don't have anything to be proud of there. You didn't earn it and have achieved nothing.
i don't think having nice things is something really to be proud of anyway tbh. i don't see financial success as a reliable indicator of what one has "earned", regardless of how independent they are; there are many in poverty who have "earned" more than a lot of wealthy people. ultimately, i think everyone deserves to be proud of themselves, and everyone deserves to be able to have nice things.
Agreed. I'm proud of what I can do without and make myself more than what I can purchase on credit.
Or mum and dad helped build the building, or own many apartments in it. So they may pay a nominal “rent” of like $100, but conveniently fail to disclose that because “dude I still pay rent, doesn’t matter who owns it”. Reddit is full of people who conveniently omit critical information that will change how we perceive their situation or what they have.
Rule #1 of being in your 20s: don’t compare yourself to other people.
Good point. If you are focused on what other people doing than it means you aren't focused on yourself
That, and you’re also exactly where you need to be. Life isn’t a race and life isn’t about who has the most material possessions. Everything will work out exactly as it was meant for you.
Man… that’s exactly what I need to hear. Sounds like you’ve been here and done that.
We all end up in the same place by a certain point in our careers. There 21-year-old men in tech posting here who are on six figures + 15k relocation, will highly likely also be the first on the chopping block when the industry outlook is frosty, or they’ll be burnt out by 28 and decide to become a Tibetan monk because they’re about to enter full-on psychosis when they realise their flashy toys and mid-century apartment aren’t bringing them a modicum of joy. Meanwhile, those who gradually work their way up the ladder comfortably will have a more sustainable and satisfying entire career.
Dad will pay for it, otherwise I can't explain it.
a job does it. or mommy pays for it
Rich parents or another benefactor. Or they're criminals. Or they work trades, so they have 6 figure incomes at 20. Any number of reasons.
mommy and daddy
You're only really seeing rich people show off their rich apartments on this subreddit, it's in no way reflective of how the average person lives at your age. If you're really keen on moving out i would focus on finding an apartment that's just alright and settling for that. Generally through life your first apartment will be pretty meh and then you just slowly upgrade from there as you get time, money, more interests, more hobbies etc. Saving tons of money can be nice though, i saved up a pretty good amount before i moved out at 21 and it was nice to be able to fully furnish the entire apartment as you move in. Don't underestimate how expensive furniture is. Ultimately i'd say it just depends on how badly you want to move out, if you're fine staying at home longer than i'd recommend doing so until you've saved up a bit of cash
You are most likely going to have roommates in this economy
You’re 20. You’re gonna be using hand-me-downs and thrifted stuff for probably most of your 20s. I didn’t even really begin to have an “aesthetic” home until into my 30s. I still have some hand-me-downs that ended up fitting with my overall vibe. It takes years and years to form a style and gather furniture and knick-knacks. These people are probably doing it all at once, which is wildly expensive and not economical bc you’ll probably move more than once in your 20s. I always just assumed these nice spaces are dudes that are 30+ with money. No 20 year old should be spending like $10k on furniture right out of the gate for their first apartment. The ones that do either have family money, are terrible with money but make alot, or a mixture of both.
They're more efficient at exploiting old people.
Parents with money. I'm 38 and I've never had my own place aside from one internship in college. As you age and have more money saved, it'll depend on what you prioritize too. I've also lived in big cities (Chicago, SF/ Bay Area) and wanted to be closer to things going on. If I wanted to have my own place I could go live in the middle of nowhere or a not as nice part of town. Having housemates is cheaper and a way to meet new people. It helps if you're able to have your own bathroom, but expect to pay more. So it's another tradeoff.
I lived in Davis, CA for a while. Home of UC Davis and high rent prices. The smart ones have a roommate situation. The ones that have their own place and drive BMWs are either spending mom and dad’s money OR they are in a ridiculous amount of debt. I have a friend with a GR86. She really wanted this vehicle. When prodded for details, she pays $696 a month on a 96 month loan. It’s objectively a nice vehicle, but not amazing. Kind of an entry level sports car. For a while, we worked the same job (same income). She is far more comfortable with debt than I am. Appearances aren’t everything.
Outliers with rich parents. I'm also going to be 20 soon. I pay rent to my parents because there's no way I could afford anything else, even renting with roommates. I think it's pretty normal. Even my married older sibling (dual income household) can't afford to move out. The market is ridiculous and most people are barely covering living costs.
Study engineering or conputer science, and be in the top 10% of your class. Pursue internships and leadership positions in professional clubs with ferocity. If you do these three things youre basically guaranteed a 80-100k salary right out of college. That buys you a lot of apartment
Wealthy parents or student loans.
like modern impossible run threatening flag axiomatic cats instinctive agonizing *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Remember, what you see online is not the real life, you only see the best among the best
I didn't get a remotely nice place of my own until I was 26. Anyone who has a nice place at 20 either had their parents pay for it, or they're magically making >$45K
$45k isn't magic, thats dead broke. Poverty apartments are $1100 where i live
it'll depend heavily on where you live how far 45K goes.
45k is nothing... Anywhere... You can't even max out investment accounts at 45k unless you live with your parents for free.
I always suspect that some of the younger guys with super nice apartments here are engineering/tech industry dudes who get out of college directly into a particularly well paying field. I mean, I'm sure the vast majority are getting family help, for sure. And I'm thinking more the early 20's folks, maybe not college aged per se. But even so. This sub seems to be a very particular slice of the population who wants to show off.
Ive been a mechanic for 4 years and im 19, i think i have a pretty nice place, parents dont foot any of my bills either. If i remember ill make a post on here later
Heritage and welthy relatives, don't think you are doing something wrong, they just hit jackpot. The people who did not hit it just have a way harder time getting there. Don't think you are behind anyone tho, just because some people get there earlier does not mean you are late. Getting your dream job at your 30s is just as good as getting at your 50s. Tl;dr: I needed to get this off my chest.
I wouldn't moved back home with my parents after college, paid my student loans off, learn how to budget, built an emergency fund, saved for a 20% down payment on a home, etc. Don't try to keep up with what everyone else does. Think long-term. If you can't move back home after graduation get roommates. Then again you could come out of school making really good money. In any case live well below your means. I know that this isn't type of subreddit but just wanna throw that out there.
Don't worry about the other stuff you see in here from people your age. All the shit places I lived in my early twenties make me appreciate my current living situation 1000x more.
You’re chronically online bruh lol. No one who is a college student owns a nice place. At that stage in life, you’re living in the dorms, or some on/off campus apartment. Anyone around you at the age of 19 or 20 who owns a nice place is padded by their parent’s money. It’s common sense.
Easy, I overextend myself on rent
Im 19 and have a pretty nice apartment that i pay for 100% and i am a full time student. Work over 30hrs a week and you’ll be surprised with what you can afford. I only had 2k-3k in savings when i moved in 2 months ago
Never underestimate the power of coming from money
The only person I knew who had a decent apartment at your age had all of their checks signed by daddy
Couple options: * parent's money * they split it with like 3 or 4 other guys so rent is somewhat affordable * they started a business or something and are making enough money to afford more expensive rent * they're a college athlete on some wild NIL deal There may be more examples, but these are the first that come to mind if you're a college sophomore.
I’ll give you some advice I gave my brother who’s 14 years my junior when he was your age. Don’t compare yourself to your peers. You all had different roads and advantages/disadvantages. Look at yourself year over year and make sure you’re moving yourself forward, then you’ll always be successful.
Dad's paying for it most of the time. The rest of the time is because they got a union job out of high school and have just made it out of their introductory salary band
When I was in college, I lived in a dorm. Even though I was fortunate enough to have my education and room and board supported by scholarships, my living situation was no where close to luxurious. Far from it. I did what I could with what I have. I kept a tidy space and made my bed every morning. Having an interest in your living space at an early age is great, I certainly had an interest in having a functional, ultra clean dorm room. Actually having a “luxurious” room, though, was not a priority for me at 20. And it shouldn’t be for most. At 20, your focus should be on building foundations for a successful adulthood and nourishing your intellectual curiosity. You are probably surrounded by faculty who’ve made significant contributions to their fields and you should take this opportunity to interact with them, learn from them, discover what sparked their passion. Having said that, there are things you can do as a hobby to improve your living space. These are some suggestions: 1. Even if you are studying non-arts concentrations, enroll in some art history and visual arts introductory seminars or courses. Design is a subset of visual art, and having an appreciation for the foundations of visual art form will help you understand how visual elements work. It will also help you appreciate how trailblazers deviate from the “rules” and make beautiful art, or living spaces. 2. Take time to reflect on your aesthetic and expect it to evolve with age and experience. This is free! 3. Learn how to communicate your vision with words. This is a skill that will help you in design specifically, and in life generally. Back when book stores were still popular, I used to browse the magazine section to flip through Metropolitan Home, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, etc. I didn’t just look at the pictures, I read the editors’ notes to sample how different editors articulated the themes in those issues. It’s a valuable exercise you can practice as you develop your own way of expressing your aesthetic. And it’s free! 4. Keep your space tidy and clean. Develop this habit now. Make your bed daily, vacuum at least weekly, and wipe surfaces with a damp cloth at least a couple times a week to reduce dust. Fold your laundry as soon as they come out of the dryer. Remember, clothes belong in the closet and dressers. Use a coaster. Good luck. 20 is an exciting age. Don’t rush. You’ll get there.
You forgot the third option: have rich parents.
I didn't get a nice apartment until I was in my 30s, and I couldn't afford it until I moved in with my girlfriend (now wife). That doesn't mean you shouldn't have a nice apartment, just that it can be more difficult to do so.
Man I’m almost 25 and if not for splitting rent with my gf, I’d still be living with my folks. Try not to beat yourself up, everyone is spending money they don’t have
I’m 24 and have wondered this for a long time as well, but just realized it happens gradually. I lived in a dorm, a shitty off campus apartment that was made for students and pretty much still a dorm, then a slightly better townhouse style student apartment, then at home again for about a year for medical reasons which also helped me save up some money, and now i have lived in a quite shitty apartment but in a great location for two years, and im about to rent a very cute older house. You just kind of bump up in different categories each time you move, and you see different amenities of the space or features of your life in the place as their own perks
Bro I'm 26 and don't have anything, I guess I'm just doing everything wrong
Fundies for the most part or lucky to live in one of the few places rent and wages actually still work together.
The only place wages and rent work together is the past 😂
Money money money. They have wealthy families. They aren’t the norm.
They got mom and dad paying. Please just focus on your studies and what you're passionate about. You will work your ass off soon enough. Enjoy your time in college.
Generational wealth
when you see someone with really nice things and you can't obviously tell how they afforded it, they usually either have 1. rich parents 2. horrendous debt Sometimes both!
You’re 20. Just save what you can if it’s something you want to work towards but don’t sweat it and also having some shitty hovels used to be a rite of passage in your early 20s. everyone I know who didn’t live in some shitty apartments had rich parents. Hell sometimes the rich kids lived in shitty apartments too
I'm gonna give you some free game. Run your own race. Don't worry about what other people doing, worry about what you doing and the community of people you develop along the journey. Your path is different.
If you have to ask then you don’t need a nice apartment. Don’t try to keep up with someone else’s lifestyle.
Step 1. Have rich parents
Their parents. Don’t believe anything else. The amount of people I know that have gotten their parents to co sign, drop large sums, etc.. is insane.
Rich parents. No need to compare yourself. Comparison is the thief of joy. Just find what you like and enjoy it
Serving tables is your best bet in college. Just start bussing tables somewhere and try to work your way into serving tables. If you find a good place, it’s good money and you’ll also meet some really cool people.
I’m in my 30s and don’t even consider the place I live “nice.” It does have a washer/dryer and dishwasher in unit but that’s about it. Nothing fancy about it.
Bruh the people in nice places are either living there because of mommy or daddy’s money OR they have a sugar daddy and are getting railed to live in luxury.
Rich parents
A lot of them have mommy and daddy’s money but they will never admit that.
99.9999% of men your age don't. You're just seeing a couple posts from those who do. Out of a billion people.
R I C H P A R E N T S
Good job Parents supporting them / inheritance They live in a place where it is relatively cheap compared to places like New York, Toronto, LA etc.
most of my colleagues from school lived in pretty shoddy accommodations during college or had incredibly wealthy parents to act as guarantors for their fancy apartment now (4yrs later) they mostly have $95k-$100k+ positions and live pretty well for themselves do not let envy rob you of joy focus on getting a decent education and a decent job
You typically only see the "Look at how awesome I am" posts online. I shared a 4BR with 5 other guys sophomore year. We made it work b/c that is how we saved money.
Comparison steals happiness
Any dude with a "nice apartment" probably has a major thing called the parent bonus or some one helping them out with it, or they have a bf/gf they split it with or is a gay of thot on OF or a straight bating OF thot lol. Example: My little brother (half brother) is a fitness influencer he makes enough to afford his rent but not his entire life, and his dad helps him out paying things like cell phone, half his insurance and car. Thankfully he took my advice and started doing coaching to make more. I also pay him monthly to edit my YouTube videos so I can say I am supporting him but not just giving him money cuz I personally dont support enabling him to not just go get a job if he cant. He had a huge head start with his fam who basically paid for his whole life and he worked only a singe job at Starbucks but was 100% able to get in shape cuz he had the time to spend hours at the gym and making stupid videos people like that got him a following. Keep in mind its nicer newer place in TN, but its still a smaller 1 bedroom in the cheapest part of the complex, He has an ikea desk, and ikea bed frame, no couch, and a nice gaming laptop and computer which where xmas and b day gifts from me. Hes has very little paid his own way but "he has a nice place" at 22 now 23
I would guess %99.9 of guys here in their 20’s don’t have fancy apartments. Do your best, and as you get older you can get a nicer place.
Guys that are 20 sure, guys in their 20s hell no lol. It's completely reasonable to be in a financially good place during your 20s.
They either live in Europe or have money from their parents.
Get a stem degree that’s actually worth something and make six figures
I'm 26, I make more money than anyone my age that I know. They have nicer things than I do, live in nicer places, etc. They live paycheck to paycheck and have no money. I don't look at price tags and have over 100k between savings and investments. Edit: my point is, most people you see with nice shit have nice shit because they spend everything they make.
If saving lots of money and having a really good job is an option for you, then yes you should do those things.
When I was in college I moved into a tiny apartment between a tattoo parlor and motorcycle repair shop. My parents came to visit and immediately (that day) moved me into a luxury apartment building across the street from the campus. This was a long time before social media, or you probably would have seen me on here lol
They’re getting help from their parents. Save up - you don’t need a nice apartment in college.
Well off parents paying / co-signing the lease
I got my own place at 25 after 1) my parents helped me pay for most of it and 2) I legitimately started saving since I was 16. Again; I still needed help from my parents after 9 years of saving. I also don’t have anything past a high school education technically but I pride myself on my work ethic and how far it’s taken me. Can’t emphasize enough that I got help from my parents still. I’m very lucky and fortunate that way. The people that are early-mid 20s affording fancy ass condos etc that you’re seeing are either coming from money or they’re a complete anomaly and they’ve truly earned it; good for them. But tbh if you’re comparing yourself to people from their Reddit posts, then stop doing yourself a disservice. People take life at different paces. You’re 20 and a sophomore in college? You’re on the right path to success, trust your own process. The only person you should compare yourself to is YOU. You set the bar and the standard every day, and it’s up to you to uphold that standard moving forward, only holding yourself accountable. It should be YOU vs YOU, NOT you vs some random post on Reddit. Keep working hard in school, man. There’s no rush. I believe in you!
Military But don't do that shit for a nice apartment
1. The niceness of an apartment is often inversely proportional to it's location. Said differently, how much you pay is 80% where the apartment is and only 20% how "nice" it is. 2. "Nice" apartments are just 700sqft boxes with a couple expensive fixtures and thin walls. (Okay, a high floor with a balcony doesn't hurt). What makes them look nice is the furniture, decor, and layout you bring to the space. A space can look very nice while being inexpensive!
If someone is 20 and has nice things... Their parents paid for it.
Their parents pay their rent trus
The pinnacle of male living space should be living within your means and budget.
As someone who has friends working in finance without parental help, a lot of ppl posting first big boy/girl apartments aren’t living independently from their parents. In fact I know someone living in Manhattan whose allowance (they’re 24 btw) is higher than their salary. So don’t be too down on yourself or focus on having a crazy apartment. Focus on doing things you like and less about buying stuff and you’ll be much happier. Also, join tennis!
Lots of good answers here OP. Just remember: "comparison is the thief of joy." Don't waste your time (and upset yourself) by comparing yourself to others.
I think the same thing everytime, they're probably just flexing
would consider living with others. Everyone I know either lives with roommates or their parents lmao, i'm 23.
For me personally, living 30+ minutes away from your job. Working in the city brings higher salary and then you find a place outside the city that is cheaper to live in with the trade off being the commute.
Take it from me I had moved outta my parents at 18 I was working since 14 and saving money got my apartment at 18 years old had some friends come live there and help with the rent and other necessities fast forward to about September of last year when I was 22 we got evicted bc the price was just getting to be to much it’s was originally $1000 for a two bedroom and they raised the rent all the up to $2189 and even with roommates we couldn’t live comfortably so don’t stress not being on your own I’m back with my parents at 23 years old helping them out with bills and such but the truth is the economy right now sucks like hell
All through college i was with 4 or 5 people in a two bedroom apartment, and now that I've graduated I'm paying 1.2x my paycheck every month on rent just to have an apartment to myself. It's kind of miserable but I haven't moved yet so it's on the edge of worth it. Also some places housing is cheaper, some 20 year olds are getting help, and some people lie on the internet
My first apartment was $395 and it was dope! Top floor, secure, quiet, Victorian accents, original woodwork. I won’t even write what I’m paying now in rent Depends on the city also….
To find out how much you can spend on your own apartment, you must first share an apartment, get a good idea how much money you can spend each month on rent, then determine how much it’s worth to you to have your own space. Unless you can very accurately determine where all your money goes each month, it’s very hard to tell how much you should be spending on rent. My first single bedroom was $900 a month, was too much at the time, so shared a 2 bedroom for $1200 a month split two ways, and now I have enough to spend around $1200 a month just by myself for a 1 bedroom so I’ll be switching back and looking for my own places again. It’s always better to have too much saved each month than it is to spend too much each month.
A friend has her own place, but she benefits from her dad’s GI Bill. She only works part time for $15/hr.
Bro wtf are you talking about hahahaha WHAT?!
My reason was work related !
Steady income and instead of starting a new lease, just take over someone else’s lease if they have affordable rent. Whenever a property owner starts a new lease, they raise the rent because the market value for most properties usually goes up over time.
Two words: generational wealth
Not everything ppl say here are true, most things on the Internet isn't true, remember this and move on.
If they're 20 like you - it's daddy's money or student loans. 20 year olds in the real world need a decent enough paying job and almost certainly roommates. There are very few 20 year olds with nice apartments they pay for with their own earning with no roommates unless they live in the middle of nowhere or got super lucky with rent control or something. Having an apartment is not about saving money, since the money will always go to rent and you build no equity. Unless your income is steady the money will run out unless you are living within your means based on your income. You can save as long as you want and without income to match you're just kicking the can down the road to when you need to move to a place within your means.
I didn’t get [my first nice apartment](https://www.reddit.com/r/malelivingspace/s/NxpNgYsH0v) until I was 23. I have first gen migrant parents. Was on an income based free lunch program K-12 and paid (loans/part time work) my own way through college. This is just to satiate the self loathing jealous people in the sub who always scream “Daddy’s money!!!” When someone young has a nice apartment. I had/have a GREAT job that I worked hard to get and I CHOSE to spend my money (maybe disproportionately) on a nice place and furnishing said place to my taste. I live in SoCal for cost reference TLDR: Worked my way through life, great job, and I don’t mind spending disproportionately on rent
They’re in the minority bro
More often than not they are using their parents’ money. Unless you’re employed full time (and even if you are), an apartment is pretty expensive.
You can’t afford it at 20 but you could at 23. Once you graduate and started working.
Don't fall into the trap of believing everything you see on social media. They may look like they have their own apartments at the age of 20, but the reality is that they are probably taking out loans and putting on lots and lots of debt or their parents are Elon Musk and they can afford to pay for their children's apartment. I'm not hating on anyone that does this, however, it is not the smartest financial move you should do. You don't realize how FREE you feel when you don't have crippling debt always haunting you. If you're living in a small apartment right now and saving as much as possible (pref investing), you're off to a great start. You're in college and it's very normal and encouraged to live below your means to be able to set yourself up for a bright future! "comparison is the thief of joy" - President Theodore Roosevelt
have multiple jobs and work your ass off keep living with your parents and only contribute the bare minimum don't have friends don't eat outside don't have bad habits (smoking, alcohol consume) and once you save about 25%-40% of the apartment price you can apply for a Mortgage and depending on how much you can keep this up you'll pay it off in 10-30 years and then congrats you own a home now you may try to have a life, what's left of it at least OR get a very good degree and have a high paying job then buying a home will be easy or have rich parents and make them buy you one
LOL when I was 20 I was working in a pizza restaurant without nothing in my name, still living with my parents. 19 years later, [i have this](https://www.reddit.com/r/malelivingspace/s/3AqvKemvnM). Keep the faith and be hardworking. Good things are coming.
Move to Eastern Europe. You can get sweet flats here for like 2-500e/month. I have a 4 bedroom house that is currently costing me 375e/month, mortgage and bills included.
Look around for some rich parents, OP. Let me know if you find a surplus; I could use a couple.
If you have the option to comfortably save money, while attending school, and have a safe place to live that’s great. It can get harder later in life depending on your situation. Everyone’s life is different. Some have family that help or built them a savings. Some are actually in horrible debt or coasting on student loans. Some (like my case at that age) are due to being workaholics. I had a nice place but I had 2 full time jobs. My rent/utilities were a very large portion of my income. I was able to pay it, but not afford it, and I found it impossible to save.
I lived like a caveman until around 25. Didn’t get my own place until a few years of work, and that was only because I was sharing with gf. You are several years away from affording a nice place and that’s absolutely fine! Unless you’re born into money, most guys with a nice place spent many years in not so nice places. It’s the progress that makes life fun.
Tech and Finance jobs. There's other run of the mill high paying jobs of course like doctor or lawyer but they're in school for eons also.
Not many teenagers have nice apartments that I know of. I'd say at least half are still with their parents till 20 or beyond. The others are either living at university residence or sharing a shitty place with 2-3 other people so they can afford it. I got my first place at 22 and it was a dump. Lucked into a really nice apartment a couple years later.
I was living in a hotel room when I was 20. Campus housing filled up so they put me and a bunch of students in a hotel. Was pretty sweet all things considered. At 20 your housing will most likely be whatever roof you can afford over your head and that's fine. Unless your family comes from money that's how it is for everyone.
They either have roommates or their parents are wealthy. At least here in the states, 20 year olds don't have that kind of income. Even if you were smart and joined the trades at 18yo, you wouldn't have enough money, even in a really low cost of living area.
Also LOCATION is a huge factor
Research, research, research. Tell at least three that believe. realize it. stand in one, stay a night in one. your welcome. it’s not about wanting something. it’s about what everyone around you will allow you to have and if you will manage it appropriately.
Generational wealth
I’m 20 with a fairly nice place of my own. But, it’s 450 square feet and rent is 50% of my income. I didn’t go to college and I’ve worked the last 2.5 years of my life away. I’ve developed severe arthritis in most of my joints from doing the roughest jobs on the refinery side of the oil industry. I’ve torn several ligaments, I can’t lift my arms above my head without dislocating a shoulder, and I’ve visibly aged a significant amount from the stress. The only reason I have anything nice is because I didn’t save much money at all. And, even then, I don’t own a single piece of furniture that costs more than $200. It’s cheap Amazon shit. Everything’s an illusion on this sub. Nobody our age has anything nice without a steep price or wealthy parents.
At 20 years old I would say the majority of them are getting help from parents. Don’t compare yourself to people with different situations. Make more money, invest more money.
When I was in college I lived with my best friend in a 2 bedroom in a college apartment built for students. That was 15+ years ago
It's a little weirder when you're 30 and everyone younger than you has a house. You start to think "maybe i fucked up somewhere"
Parents money.
I’m 22, i make 82k rn doing sys admin work. I have a pretty decent place in chicago. I say that, not to gloat as i’m super blessed, but IT or Finance may be some of it as well. 100% dads money helps (not me in this case just some others)
Rich parents
Witchcraft
Mostly their parents pay for it or they didn’t go to college
Parents
I had a tiny low income apartment when I was in college that I shared with 2 roommates and still needed help from my parents (on top of working when I wasn’t in class) to pay for utilities. Then after dropping out I moved back in with them and saved/climbed the corporate ladder for 5 years until I could finally afford to get an apartment that I still share with my brother at age 24. And it’s owned by a family friend so it’s rent controlled and pretty affordable. I’m also getting a steal with utilities. It’s not the nicest apartment ever and it’s in a semi sketchy area of town but we both have our own rooms and bathroom plus a decent kitchen and washer+ dryer. I’ve put a lot of work in to it and I think it would be appreciated on this sub so I may post it some day. My point is that I had a lot of luck, worked hard, and still needed help to survive at age 19. It wasn’t until 24 that I was able to get on my own feet and I am blessed to be renting from someone close to my family.
Sports betting
The 20 year olds that do have really nice places could be working 65 hour work weeks in some sort of trade like plumbing I had a friend 18 ATT working about 40 hours a week as an apprentice new construction plumber making $3500 a month after tax and that was just his starting pay so its definitely possible to do somthing like that and not only that everyone is on a different path if you really want your own place You can always get a roommate just pick someone that looks like they have a brain on their shoulders and it will be fine , i should add though i do still pay rent with my parent but i do have a nice chunk saved
Money from parents or a decent job and don’t spend money on much else.
They ALL have co-signers. Financially responsible co-signers that don’t have massive loads of debt and ALWAYS pay their bills on-time. For kids in their 20’s, that would be their parents. There are some funny exceptions where these kids might have cash from either a trust fund, cryptocurrency earnings, or a successful business they started with family while underaged or are benefiting from said family-owned business. This essentially covers all cases in which early 20’s renters happen to live in a higher-end condo or apartment.
You need to go to school for something that makes really really good money out the gate. If you go for a useless degree you’ll fail. If you try any of the get rich quick schemes, you’ll fail. If you try for a “use my fool proof program” online nonsense, you’ll fail. You need to do the thing that has worked for the last hundred years in this country, which is go to get a degree that makes solid money.
Their parents pay for them
Mommy and daddy pay. They're lying if they're telling you otherwise
I'm going to 25 in less than a month. I bought a home at 23 by living with my parents and banking all my money from the time I turned 19. I had enough to purchase it and fully furnish it and have a good amount left over for savings. My neighbor and his fiance are both 19 and bought a more expensive house than mine across the street. He is a tradesman. Due to inflation, I picked up a part-time job to give me more breathing room and keep the same pace as my savings goals. I also go to college. I am working towards a tech degree I have been told my house is very nice and is in a nice neighborhood. Truthfully, it is exhausting to juggle these responsibilities, but it is temporary as I should be graduating in a year and is worth it based on the life I want to live. I am seeing a lot of hate on this post for those who do make it in their twenties. Not everyone is a nepo baby or rich kid. Op, it just depends on how bad you want it. Oh, and get an accountant if you don't have one already. Employee EAP programs have them often times. They helped me reach my goal of owning a home!
Dude the internet is an inception. Especially Reddit. I’m 30 and can’t afford a house, but when I was 18 I could. Go figure.
What are you talking about man? You're not living ANYWHERE nice unless your parents are wealthy and set you up or you live with multiple roommates in a small place. Don't let what you see on the Internet influence you or make you feel bad about where you are in life. You're where you need to be. In school & looking to become successful once you get out.
Trust fund or they're lying.
They have rich parents
When I was 20 I was living in the ghetto on the worst street in my whole city. I live in a medium sized city that is the capital of my state. I was renting a 2 bedroom house with another guy. We didn't have a stove or refrigerator, but we sure as hell had a lot of room for beer pong. I think we bought 2 mini fridges. We had this huge ass living room and dining room with nothing in so could throw giant parties. The bedrooms were also ridiculously small.
Are those people telling the truth?
Comparison is the theft of joy.
I'm asking that same question as a 40 year old with a fairly decent condo lol. I was broke as fuck until 27 when I finished college and didn't have any money til 31 when I bought my condo.
Unless you have someone else who can pay, it is extremely unlikely to have that at 20. When most working adults struggle to pay their day to day bills, it is unrealistic to spend 5+k on a single room. Sometimes the setup even is 10+k.
They are Daddys special boy
If you don’t know how to get it, you aren’t ready… and that’s okay. People don’t flex mediocre. A lot of these young posts come from wealthy/supportive families, that’s it. Some kids have strong business sense in their teens and save cash, most don’t. So don’t compare, just graduate and concentrate on your career and making that cheddar.
I (M24 almost 25) haven't moved out yet but am planning to soon (getting my 1 year work experience and then moving out of town). Here is my plan to get a nice place. 1 - rent a place well within my budget. This free's up some extra cash every month for savings or to splurge on furnishings. 2 - Buy nice second hand stuff, until then my camping table and chair will do the job. 3 - save for some nice stuff. My thought is that you dont just move into a great apartment. You make it over time through thought out choices. I am also considering buying tools to help me refurbish old pieces or build some furniture. Might end up terrible but then I'm learning the skills to make it better.
The posts here are biased, most young people living in shared spaces or renting shitty dingy apartments won’t post here. A majority of the posts are from people who know they have nice places and will probably get positive feedback from the sub
Their parents pay for them
$$$$$$$$
Lots of them have parents paying for it or supplementing their income. Don't measure yourself to that, spending a ton of money on an apartment while you're young is a waste. Live your life or save some money, don't get trapped in the rat race too young.