Dear Brookie!

Dear Brookie,

Ugh, I am having so many roommate issues I don't even know where to begin. I found her on Craig's List and it's been a nightmare. She leaves her dirty dishes in the sink, definitely eats some of my food without telling, and her guests and her hang out late at night and are so loud. I've tried to get through to her but she still does this. I don't want to break my lease but I'm seriously considering it. What do I do?

The Sarcastic Answer:
Dont break the lease. Break her dishes. That way she can't leave them dirty in the sink. And as far as your food, you should really learn to eat out more and stop stocking your fridge. When her guests come over, just start hanging out with them and act purely insane. They'll quickly find another place to hang out. She wants to play dirty with those dishes, you play dirty back, sista.

The Real Answer:
Oh Craigs List..the hits and misses are endless from that site and you clearly have a miss. It's definitely not easy living with a person like that, and often times, these people are the way they are. But you can get through to them if you go about it the right way. I've heard it all: emails, post-it notes, writing on the fog in the mirror, any way you can get their attention while also avoiding confrontation. But there's no better way to get through to your roommate than to sit her down and tell her your thoughts in the most honest way.

Try to instill some ideas for a compromise and remind her that you live in the apartment too and common areas affect both of you. By taking a more sincere approach, you might be able to get through to her. If not, then your living situation and sanity deserve better. Try finding a sublet and get out of that dirty situation!

Want to Ask Brookie a question? Email her at brookehschneider@gmail.com!