I Live In A Mansion But Make Less Than $20k A Year

I first started living in a mansion, trimmings and all, about nine months ago. It’s three stories high and is worth around $5 million on the market, and while it’s not necessarily as glamorous as it seems from the outside, the experience of living here has dramatically changed my views on people with insanely large and opulent houses.

  1. It’s actually very inexpensive to live here. I don’t live in an entire mansion, I live in a part of one. As unbelievable as it may seem, our landlords (and owners of the place) are the kind of people who wanted to let young couples enjoy a nice living environment while they built their own lives up. They affectionately named it “The Engagement Bungalow,” as the last three couples who stayed here all got engaged while living here. Rent costs only $1400 a month with all utilities included. This includes gas for the fireplace we have in our living room and even WiFi. My partner and I split this cost, so rent is really only $700 a month. It’s a good deal anywhere, but considering we live in Chicago, it’s a downright miracle.
  2. We stumbled on it accidentally. My partner and I were in dire straights, desperate to find a place that wasn’t high in rent but also wasn’t infested with bugs or other problems. On top of that, our landlord wanted two months’ notice before we renewed or moved out of our old apartment. We started searching online and found a very small listing with only two photos showing a very modest place. Little did we know, they were quite terrible at taking photos. It had only been up for a few hours, so we decided to jump on it and see. Upon receiving the address and time to look at it, our jaws were on the floor. They hadn’t once mentioned it was in a mansion and didn’t show any photos of just how incredible the place was. What they’d posted did not serve it justice in the slightest. We were blown away. 
  3. We made an offer on the spot and by sheer luck, we got the place. My partner and I knew if anyone else saw this place, they’d have the same reaction. We made an offer immediately in the hopes of scooping it up. Luckily, we were the first to view it and by sheer dumb luck, it was accepted and we moved into a literal mansion soon after.
  4. Ironically, I left my job and haven’t found another reliable one yet. I was making a measly $10 an hour working as a preschool teacher when we first moved in, something I enjoyed but eventually realized wasn’t well-suited for me. The month I left some serious problems had arisen in the company and I decided for the sake of my own safety it was necessary to leave. Taking a huge leap of courage, I started looking for jobs in other career paths. I’m now almost completely jobless, making very little money and yet living in a mansion. It’s weird how life works out. 
  5. Turns out, not all rich people are rude. The adorable couple that’s allowing us to live in their home are two of the most kind and welcoming people I know. While their lives are busy and they hold prestigious jobs, they’ve been more amazing than any other landlord we’ve known. They give us gifts at Christmas and are there all hours of the night in case of emergency, which gives us the feeling that we’re truly at home. It doesn’t feel like we’re tenants even though we pay to stay. They’re just kind, empathetic people who happen to have a lot of money.
  6. Not everyone who lives somewhere fancy is rich. Living here as a jobless person desperately trying to land another gig has taught me a lot about perception. We never know the stories of those who live in large houses or drive fancy cars. Sure, many of them have the life we dream of, but in some cases that isn’t true. I’m broke and living on savings, but to anyone on the outside, I probably seem like a privileged young woman living at my rich mother’s house. This experience has truly taught me to no longer judge the rich, poor, or anyone at all. We never know where we might lie in life. Those who look better off may be in worse shape than you. You just never know. 
Writer, artist, and goofball all in one- what more could you ask for?
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