Aero on 24th provides residents with a beautiful, spacious kitchen full of new appliances, perfect for people who love to cook and entertain!
It's difficult to say you've had a proper college experience without at least once needing to share either a dorm or apartment with roommates. Sometimes, living with other people is necessary since most private, one-bedroom apartments are more expensive compared to apartments with multiple residents under the same roof.
If you are in this situation then you probably have to share a kitchen fridge with others as well. Although this might be something you've never had to do before coming to college, sharing a fridge with your roommates is a great way to establish trust and boundaries with people you have only just been acquainted with.
Listed below are some of the most effective ways to share a fridge with your Gainesville apartment roommates without the chance of hostility or confrontation that could go along with sharing a common space.
Organize Your Groceries
Organizing your groceries is the first step to knowing which things are yours in the fridge. The amazing thing about fridges is that they already come with built-in shelves and compartments, perfect for separating different types of food. In this case, each roommate could pick a compartment and claim it as their own. This could help eliminate the confusion of randomly shoving things in the fridge.
If this doesn't seem like enough separation, you could always choose to store your food in plastic or glass food storage containers. This can help differentiate your groceries from your roommates' groceries without you needing to write your name on each bag or container individually for identification. Also, storage containers aren't too difficult to clean, especially if you live in an apartment with a dishwasher included.
Set Boundaries in Gainesville Apartments
At first, it can be somewhat uncomfortable sharing space with strangers, but if you establish boundaries and ground rules early on, you can eliminate any confusion going forward. I suggest starting with whether or not you'll share groceries with your roommates.
Sometimes when shopping at grocery stores in proximity to apartments near Gainesville, you won't find food proportioned for just one person. You might buy something that only comes in one standard size. In this case, it might be best to split the cost of buying that item with your roommates, so no food is wasted, and everyone's monetary contributions are accounted for. This can be a win-win situation if handled properly.
However, if you feel that this isn't conducive for your specific roommate situation, it might be best to limit the things you purchase down to only those that are available in smaller or individual portions sizes (milk, egg cartons, and creamer are just some examples).
Be a Good Communicator in Apartments Near Gainesville
Another important thing to welcome in any shared space is a healthy line of communication. The best way to get along with strangers is to respect them and give them a chance to communicate in a non-hostile environment. This is an agreement that only works if both or all parties involved exchange the same courtesies.
When sharing a fridge, the situation shouldn't be any different. For example, if one of your roommates runs out of milk and needs to borrow some of yours in the meantime, they should come to you first and ask. Whether you agree to them borrowing your products or not, it's helpful to remember that they came to communicate with your first.
Also, you might find yourself in a situation where there's spoiled food in the fridge but it's not yours. Should you just throw it away or put it down the garbage disposal yourself? If it's not yours it's best to tell the owner of the food right away so they can come and dispose of it themselves.
At the end of the day, having a kitchen fridge is a vital aspect of Gainesville apartment living. Whether you live with one, two, or many other roommates, the fridge that holds your things will be frequented by your roommates as well. With proper communication and organization, sharing a fridge with others will be a no-brainer for everyone involved!