i'm thinking about moving

since i paid off my car last month, and once i finish replenishing my emergency fund this month, i will be putting $795.86 per month toward my credit cards. if i continue at this rate, my credit cards will be paid off in march 2011 (please note that is one year and three months ahead of my original goal, which was june 2012).

(fyi, i do all my budget calculations with this cnn money budget calculator, which is a handy tool if you do not have one that you already use)

that is very exciting, but recently i have had it in my head that i want to move. if i were to get a place where i had a roommate, it would save me a damn lot of money. also, i really like having roommates (when they are not crazy) and i miss living with other people.

my current monthly living expenses:

• rent: $595.00
• heat/electric: $141.00 fixed
• cable: $42.21

grand total: $778.21

i have been looking at a few places on craigslist and talked to a guy at one potential place and got the breakdown on expenses. i will just use that as a sample since i don't have info on any other places yet. here are the monthly expenses at that place:

• rent: $420.00
• heat/electric: $50-90 depending on the season
• internet: $10.00

grand total: $520.00 (at most)

that is a savings of $258.21 per month! imagine what i could do with that money. yes... pay off my credit cards faster. i went to the budget calculator again and plugged in the numbers if i were paying $1054.00 per month towards credit cards. that would get my credit cards paid off by october 2010!

i will be 30 in september 2010. if i could just squeeze a little extra money out of my budget on top of that, i could give myself the amazing 30th birthday present of paying off my credit cards. this would be so awesome!

speaking of squeezing money out of my budget, i recently cut my auto/rental insurance expenses from $108/month total to $98/month by switching companies. it's not a lot but it's something.

anyway, back to moving + having roommate(s). i'm debating it. i'll do a pros and cons list and you guys can give me advice.

pros:

• saving money
• potentially paying my credit cards off in the next year and three months (assuming i can stick with a cheap roommate situation that long)
  
• having roommates is fun
• i want to try living in a new neighborhood
• meeting new people
  
• i am kind of bored with my life right now and this would shake things up
• probably i would save on other expenses too (food, household items, etc.)
  

cons:

• i have lived alone for the past 2+ years and i don't know if i am no longer able to live with people (a lot of my friends claim this about themselves)
  
• less personal space/privacy
• possibly having to deal with annoying people as roommates
• moving sucks
• i would probably have to get rid of a lot of my stuff
• i could hate it and then i would have to move yet again
• i will not get to be as messy/loud/etc. as i want whenever i want
  

well that is all i can think of. any advice would be much appreciated!