Two Apartments

Ines moved to London in September for a new job. For the first month, she stayed with a friend, but now she needs her own flat. On Saturday, she saw two.

The first flat was in Camden, in central London. It had two big bedrooms and a modern kitchen, and it was ten minutes from her office on foot. But it was expensive: 1,900 pounds a month.

The second flat was in Croydon, in the suburbs. It was smaller and older than the first one, with only one bedroom. But it was much cheaper, 1,100 pounds, and it had a garden with an apple tree.

On Sunday, Ines asked her friends. Tom said, "Take the flat in Camden. It's bigger, it's newer and it's closer to work. You'll save an hour every day."

Her friend Priya didn't agree. "The second flat is as nice as the first one, and it's 800 pounds cheaper. That's a holiday in Spain every month! And the garden is the best part."

Ines thought about it all week. The train from Croydon took forty minutes, but it was quiet and she could read. The flat in Camden was more comfortable, but she didn't want to work only to pay the rent.

On Friday, she called the agent. "I'll take the flat with the garden," she said. Now, every morning, she drinks her coffee under the apple tree. It was the cheapest decision of her year, and the happiest.