Sometimes, it’s best to keep your humble abode to yourself. As much fun as it can be to have a roommate or live with your significant other, it can also be a joy to know that you’re the only one you ever have to clean up after and that you get to return home to peace and quiet after a long day. When you live alone, you never need to wonder if someone else is using the kitchen or wait for another person to get out of the shower.
You can cook meals in your underwear whenever you want, and if you really don’t feel like doing the dishes until tomorrow morning, nobody will be nagging you to get them done. You don’t need to inform anyone before inviting guests over, and you’ll never have to fight for the television. When you live alone, your home can be your own little sanctuary.
Now, many people are hesitant to live alone because they’re concerned that they might become lonely. Some of us look forward to having a chat when returning home after a long day, and having someone to come home to can make it a lot easier to socialize without needing to schedule it or coordinate with friends. But while having a roommate can be a huge blessing, it’s important to remember that it can also be terrible.
It’s extremely easy for people that you cohabitate with to get under your skin, and according to the National Apartment Association, the number one source of conflicts between roommates is cleaning habits. In fact, over a third of tenants who have roommates say this is an issue in their households. Whether it’s due to dishes piling up in the sink, hair clogging shower drains, dust bunnies accumulating in the hallway or crumbs attracting rodents in the kitchen, this is a common frustration that you’ll never have to deal with when living alone.
Other conflicts tenants often have with roommates include making too much noise, being on different sleep schedules, stealing things from one another, having issues with guests, disagreeing over bills, not respecting one another and not having enough privacy. Learning how to live with another person will always require a learning curve, and when it’s someone you’re not romantically or familially linked to, conflicts can become even more frustrating. You don’t love the person, and you might not even consider them to be a friend. So you might be better off simply living alone!
While living alone isn’t for everyone, as some of us need more social interaction than others or might have a harder time taking care of ourselves, it can be a huge privilege. According to Money Under 30, to even be able to afford living alone in the United States, you can expect to be paying about $2,000 for rent each month. And if you live in New York City, you’re looking at paying at least $4,300. You’ll also have to provide all of the furniture, appliances, cookware, etc. yourself, so moving out on your own might come with many additional costs.
If you can manage to make living alone work with your budget, there can be many benefits to the situation. First of all, you get to set your schedule. You never have to agree on a time to clean the apartment with your roommates, and you don’t have to worry about waking anyone up if you come home at 3am. Self-care comes first, and you never need to feel guilty about vacuuming late at night or early in the morning.
Living alone also gives you the opportunity to decorate your living space exactly the way you want to. Buy that poster you’ve been eyeing, and pick up that vintage couch from the thrift store without worrying about consulting anyone else. The space is just for you, and you don’t have to consider anyone else’s taste. You can have as many plants as you’d like (although, you will have to water them), and you don’t have to choose generic decor that will suit everyone. Feel free to embrace your own taste in your space.
