At 25, Michele Theil juggles three jobs to pay £1,225 rent but says the freedom of living solo is worth every sacrifice.
For many young professionals, soaring rents mean house shares are the only option.
But for 25-year-old Michele Theil, the price of independence is working up to 70 hours a week.
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Michele pays £1,225 a month to live alone in her Hertfordshire flat — the same place she once shared with her ex.
After their split, she decided she wasn’t willing to return to awkward house shares or “walk on eggshells” around strangers.
“I really love my flat and I didn’t want to have to move or find other people to live with that I hoped to get along with,” Michele told Hype Daily.
“The problem with living with strangers is you don’t know until you’re there whether there will be any issues.”
To afford solo living, she holds down a full-time job as a press officer, earning just under £33,000 a year.
On top of that, she freelances as a journalist and bartends, bringing in another £10,000 annually.
The schedule is relentless. “Sometimes I won’t be able to attend certain events,” she admitted.
“I also try not to spend too much money… I cancelled several streaming services and I’m lucky my aunt and uncle pay for my Apple Music.”
For Michele, who has ADHD, shared living brought constant anxiety.
“I felt like I couldn’t be myself and had to walk on eggshells. I’d worry housemates would have a go at me about small things if chores weren’t done ‘perfectly’.”
Despite the pressure of three jobs, Michele says independence outweighs the drawbacks.
“I love being able to come and go as I please, sit where I want, play music, watch TV out loud and not clean up immediately if I don’t want to. It feels great to be unencumbered.”
While her “debt diet” lifestyle means sacrifices, Michele insists it’s worth it: “It’s definitely very hard to do this and to live alone, but for me it’s worth it.”
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