A TikTok user @the_playboychachi told her viewers a story about moving in with her long-time best friend. But can close friendships endure the stresses of sharing a living space? The video, posted on August 18, had an on-screen overlay reading "why you never live with your 'best friend'" and had drawn approximately 181,000 likes as of publication.
The creator had, at that point, returned to Atlanta after having lived with her sister in Jacksonville, Florida. So she took up the offer from a best friend who nudged her to move in for about two years. The creator was hesitant, as living with a friend could bring out differences which might harm the relationship. But after she moved in, money soon became one of the issues with the arrangement. She explained that she was low on money and had earlier helped her friend with the cost of transportation. Instead of asking to be paid back in full, she had suggested that her friend should pay some money towards her trip to Atlanta.
During that trip, the creator spent around $43 on food and cupcakes. She also described telling her roommate she only had $30 toward a $100 purchase and would pay the remainder when she had more money. So her friend then paid for a Popeyes meal for her that was around $14, plus her friend had paid for food for her family.
@the_playboychachi I’m like over it overly! #storytime
♬ original sound - Chachina?
After noticing a shift in her friend's attitude, the creator said she decided to stop asking for financial help.
Household expectations were another cause of tension. As the creator explained, her friend had bought groceries without first making the expectations clear. She also said there were arguments about the way the dishes should be washed. The creator stated that she usually washes the dishes using running water and a sponge, while her friend preferred to fill the sink with water, soap, and bleach. When her friend criticized the way she washed a plate, the creator said that she thought the disagreement could have been handled in a kinder manner.
The dispute made way for comments about how dishes are washed. "I hate it when people make dishwater like that because it's so dirty," one commenter stated. Yet another supported the practice, as they had been using a little bleach in dishwater growing up in the South.
Some people are against the general idea of sharing a space. "The fastest way to break up with a friend is to move in together," one comment read. Another person said that sharing a house can succeed if both friends pay their share of the costs and have open communication. A different commenter maintained that people should talk over their routines, boundaries, responsibilities, and the house rules before moving in together, as everyone has their own habits and expectations.
The creator noted that the two had agreed on basic rules before moving in, including keeping the living room from becoming her personal space and establishing how they would support each other.
Still, in the end, the situation "went horribly wrong".
