This VS That

Lockdown At Home

Spending lockdown at home is nothing short of a Valentines buffet in terms of value. For some, reaching into the pantry is kinda like Mary Poppins bag, stuff just keeps appearing and you’re not the one having to make it happen. Moving home,  there’s also less that you have to remember on a day to day basis. Knowing your eftpos card pin number? Definitely optional, because your parental figure probably does all the shopping now. Okay now let’s talk dirty and by dirty we mean washing, and how it’s never before been so up to date. Flatting, you chuck your clothes in the basket, forget and/or ignore it, before you realise it’s not the four day old dishes on the bench that smell funky, it’s your washing that’s been stewing for 72+ hours in the corner of your room. At home if you’re lucky, you can sneeze, close your eyes for 2 seconds, open them, and Voila! A washed, dried and (on a good day) ironed pile sitting neatly on your bed. Additionally if you’re fortunate enough to be living at home with middle aged parents who know zilch about how ‘techy stuff works’- you’re the real winners here. You’ve just found an excellent way to fill the hours in your lockdown day.  Repeat lessons about how to turn the zoom microphone on (even though you spent 40 mins yesterday explaining it) or teaching them that you can actually direct message people on Facebook instead of posting a,  ‘Hi Jenny, Hope you and the fam are well. Sending love- Janet x x ’ on their timeline for the world to see are both brilliant means for passing the time. Lockdown has been less than ideal for most of us, but staying at home and messing with your siblings is an absolute treat.  If you piss your flatmates off then you potentially have an extra few hundred dollars rent that you have to cough up when they finally get sick of you and leave after lockdown.  Siblings, well the consequences are much less dire, especially when they’re only seventeen and have no car to go anywhere when lockdown does finish..

Lockdown At The Flat

This is a shit situation we are in, so why make it worse going back home? If your family dynamic is anything as perfect as mine, nothing will make you happier than to choose to stay in your flat. Yes, the majority would say, I miss my home-cooked meals, mum, dad and the siblings. But you don’t make that big step into the big world to go back home. Lockdown has the potential to bring up old issues, and chores will be implemented now more than ever.

Moving on, this is a chance of getting to know your flatmates. Life gets in the way of seeing what’s in front of you, and a lockdown is a perfect opportunity to get to know your flatties. And IF there is a possible breakdown between flatmates you don’t have to make up with them with the family members you do. So you have nothing to lose.

During this pandemic, money is going to be tight (we know this); some have no income at all. So why not share the same interest with your flatmates? And grovel over it together. I mean, why go back home to pay rent still? You’re going to be broke either way. Now I must wrap this up (because the pros are endless), but before I do, I will leave you with a few advantages to remind you why flatting is the wiser option.

  1. Your family will always be there, and you will appreciate them more – absences make the heart grow fonder.
  2. You have a reason to still get a loan from your parents for those liquor deliveries, but claim you need it for rent. 🤷🏽‍♀️
  3. There is a potential relationship to add to the ones you have already. 
  4. Study buddy or buddy-buddy 😉
  5. You can’t sleep with your family JS.