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It’s finally time to make it “even Steven” after all these times we've looked at the wholesome couples, best friends, partners in crime, and whatnot messing around together under one roof and wondered what on earth we've done to deserve living alone. We all know how much easier it is to survive the autumn blues, breakups, hard days at work and whatever challenges life throws at you when you have a spare shoulder to cry onto. We know that, okay?
So when someone asked a much-anticipated question “What is a highly underrated advantage of living alone?” on r/AskReddit the loners who don’t share their postcode with anyone saw it as a perfect moment to celebrate just that. The answers started flooding in one by one, showing the joy of simple things like never having to wait for a bathroom and total control over heat and air conditioning.
I mean, you can freely talk to yourself out loud, forget manners and quit politeness, put the responsibilities aside and indulge in the sweetness of doing nothing... Isn't this basically the closest we’ll get to the ultimate freedom in a society where no one feels free anymore?
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#1
Every single item in your house is exactly where you left it the last time you used it.
Mazer 4 years ago
Ummmm yeah, my last fog (RIP). English Bull Mastiff- Alaskan Husky mix. Great dog, could redecorate with one swipe of his tail
Saint Thomas 4 years ago
And yet I'm constantly searching for things without remembering where I put them XD
A B C 4 years ago
Especially after "tidying up so you find stuff quicker"... at least for me that's a real struggle, lol
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Miss Frankfurter 4 years ago
And then I can't remember where it was that I left it the last time I used it🤪.
RELATED:
#2
Everything is your own mess. I don't want to clean up after someone, and I don't want to nag someone to clean. Those are all my dishes in the sink to do, or to let sit there for a week. Feels good.
Also, ripping a fart you feel super proud of with no shame or holding back.
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
And than there's my wife and me having fart contests.... I'm better at sound, she's better at aroma.
Nubis Knight 4 years ago
What's the problem with ripping a fart? I'm living with my best friend and we both have no shame before each other, btw we're both female.
Pungent Sauce 4 years ago
If you have to hold it in with the person you’re living with, or they’re not suitably impressed as well, they are not “the one”. Move on.
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
Is the OPPOSITE for me. After decades of sharing a residence--especially the last place with 11 other amazingly lazy, filthy guys in it, I have my own place. And I KEEP IT CLEAN. The same roaches and ants will invade whether it's a bunch of worthless ingrates or JUST ME leaving the place a mess.
Holvnn Olive Ntivuguruzwa 4 years ago
do you feel ashamed of a fart, it's all about breathing, just with the other nose, hhhhh
#3
Silence.
Zoe's Mom 4 years ago
Can't agree more. I come from a very loud and large Hispanic family and yes, WE.ARE.LOUD. Anytime we are together, I'm the 1st one to leave because of the noise. I've lived on my own for the better part of 40 years so after a while, the noise just gets to me.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
As a Greek i don't know if i want to laugh or cry! You don't want to be in a Greek house then
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DennyS (denzoren) 4 years ago
I remember once I was sitting in complete darkness just listening to music on my headphones and playing a game on my laptop when my cousin came to visit...he was so confused. Lol
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
And the ability to concentrate deeply and get s**t done without constant interruptions. I love my husband, but he still doesn’t quite seem to understand that working from home is still working, and that I need to concentrate and get my work done, or else I’ll be at it all night——and I like my down time as much as he likes his.
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 4 years ago
This one is so underrated... I love my partner, and we have no kids, but it's still impossible to achieve the absolute calm that comes with the silence of being alone in my own space.
Otter 4 years ago
If you have your very own place and don't like silence, you can leave the TV on 24/7! Nobody complaining that they can't sleep with the TV on or you're wasting energy or anything! I love having my own little apartment.
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Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
This is an apartment building, so there is not that much silence. But this is MY apartment and no one can suddenly enter. In fact, I am sitting here in my "birthday suit" typing this while morning coffee is brewing.
Bored Panda spoke with Susan Petang, a certified divorce coach and the creator of “The Quiet Zone Coaching,” who teaches women how to stop feeling overwhelmed and start waking up happy in the morning again. Susan was happy to share some insights on the often overlooked perks of living alone and how we can all make the most of it.
“Sometimes it's really nice to be alone! You don't have to think about the needs of anyone else. You can go to bed whenever you want, and get up when you have to, without accommodating someone else's schedule,” Susan said.
She continued: “Don't want to eat healthy tonight? No problem! Want to have dinner at 11PM? No worries, there's no one else to answer to. You can eat what you like without having to worry about someone else's preferences. You can watch as much TV or play as many video games as you want. If you want to work until 3AM, you can—you don't have to worry about disturbing anyone else. Vacations can be wherever YOU want to go, doing what you want to do.”
#4
There are a lot of advantages but my top is not having to deal with people and their damn problems
Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago
This would be my number one. Living with other people is a nightmare. In my experience, almost everyone turns out to be a complete piece of s**t.
Nubis Knight 4 years ago
Sp you aren't able to go to your room and clise the door to be alone? O.o ...never needed more privacy than that. On the other hand I'm living with my best friend and we're experts in helping with each others problems.
MrOwlAteMyMetalWorm. 4 years ago
Wow,what a beautiful life!I'm currently in a place where I have no place I can be me comfortably .
Load More Replies... A B C 4 years ago
"after a long day of working with other people, I can close the door, lock everyone else out and perform some self-care" is called antisocial? If so, then yes, I'm antisocial.
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#5
I’m an introvert so when I come home, I want to be by myself. Social situations are draining and I can only re-energize by having alone time. I am not antisocial, but I have hidden in my room for hours for my roommate to leave because I don’t want to answer 'How was your day?' for the millionth time
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 4 years ago
Yeah like sometimes I don't wanna talk about my day I just wanna watch youtube in my room.
Lara Verne 4 years ago
Or watch movie alone without unwanted narration from my brother.
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Lav Oravaf 4 years ago
as an office manager I deal with people all day, so when I go home it's like my heaven. My two cats are there and they only have love and understanding for me. For me being alone in the evening with my cats is how I recharge my energy to be a nice person the following day.
aubergine10003 4 years ago
I'm an extrovert, and I STILL don't want to talk to someone when I get home. Thank goodness for living alone!
François Carré 4 years ago
So relatable. Most of my job is having to talk and listen gently and efficiently to people. As soon as I am home and close the entrance door behind my back, any extra social situation is bound to feel like a second work day beginning, and I basically don't feel the strength for it. Not even for giving phone calls to family or friends. And that didn't help my last relationship either : since we lived in the same town, she legit expected to see me almost every evening of the week... which I felt incapable of. Now we're just friends and see each other once in a while.
Biba Little 4 years ago
But I'd love to have someone who would not take my energy away. Someone with whom I could enjoy not talking at all.
#6
Never having to wait for the bathroom
Robert Thompson 4 years ago
The only door I close is my front door. All doors to rooms are left open; Closet and cabinet doors excepted.
Bored Birgit 4 years ago
The same with us, because we have cats, and cats hate locked doors. So do we both.
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Either to be unoccupied, or to be able to use it without having to hold your breath.
Firstname Lastname 4 years ago
My mate runs the tap while he poops. Whenever I'm waiting to pee it is pure torture.
In fact, Susan describes living alone as “the ultimate in self-care.” She added that “you can plant whatever you want in the garden, take as many candle-lit baths as you want, and read whenever you want without worrying about the needs of someone else.”On the other hand, living alone has some practical downsides. “There is nobody to share the chores with. You and you alone are responsible for taking out the trash, cleaning the cat's litter pan, and walking the dog. If you get sick, there is nobody to help, no one to make you chicken soup.”
#7
Total control over heat/air conditioning. Highly underrated. You can have control over your costs and/or your comfort.
EP 4 years ago (edited)
This should be way higher! This is the number one perk. Total control over the windows, open or shut, the blinds, open or shut, the bathroom door when using the bathroom can stay open. and I saved the best for last - when you’re cold you simply dial up that thermostat with zero regard. When you’re hot you can freeze yourself out if you feel like. If anyone complains, they can go TO THEIR HOME!!
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
The open bathroom door. The older I get, the less I can tolerate humid heat, so a hot steamy bathroom is hell for me. It’s why, if I go to a gym, I don’t shower there. Nothing gets dry.
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Bad Alchemy 4 years ago
Upvoting this! Sick of people who complain about being cold, but refuse to dress properly. For f-s sake - put on a sweater!
Becky Graybeal 4 years ago
This is my MOST favorite thing about living alone. I like it COLD in my house all the time. Get a sweater or go home. No, I don't want to go have coffee in that sauna you call home.
Lovin' Life 4 years ago
Oh how I wish at times I could live alone so I wouldn't have icicles hanging from my hand, nose and toes, All year round!!!!
Katherine Heasley 4 years ago
This! I don't have to please anyone else with my thermostat choices.
Xīngxīng Emmersyn 4 years ago
Depends on who you are and who you live with. My Dad had total control over the thermostat growing up. However, when you realize how much that heating bill costs, that's when you realize you have less control than you think.
#8
If I want to eat blueberry Eggos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, no one judges
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Or have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner if you want. Or eat dinner at 10 pm, or 2 pm.
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
EXACTLY!! When I was at my last place, shared with 11 others dudes, I bought hummus and rye bread. ALL of my ghetto housemates got in my face to call me "bougie" and start some unneeded s**t.
#9
When you get home, that food you been thinkin about all day long will be there.
T Kory 4 years ago
When I lived with my mom, my leftovers would frequently disappear. If it was sweet, she ate it. If it was something savory, she threw it out. Her sweet tooth cravings were out of control and she feared the savory would spoil in two days. smh Now that I live alone, I can enjoy my leftovers 3 days later and nothing has spoiled yet.
yellowphantom 4 years ago
When my kids were still at home, I had my desserts that they didn't like so I could count on them being there. Stuff with nuts, coconut, dark chocolate, maple flavor; kids often don't like those or don't THINK they will like them, so they don't mess with them. Never saw a kid eat pecan pie or coffee ice cream.
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
And the coffee, the milk... One of the first things I bought when I got this place was a Keurig coffee machine. If I had had it at the old place, after castigating me for "being bougie", all of the dudes would have stolen and used up all of my coffee pods...and the Keurig machine would have been broken in less than a month.
Nubis Knight 4 years ago
Wtf are the kind of friends you have? My friends would put more in the fridge instead of eating what's mine. O.o
Moreover, you're responsible for paying all the bills, argues Susan. “It's always easier with two incomes, and if you lose your job, it can be pretty scary. When you get home from work, there's nobody to share your day with, laugh with, and play with. Sure, you can take a friend on vacation with you, but it's just not the same.” The life coach added that one of the biggest joys in life is doing things for others. “When you live with someone else, you can experience that joy every single day!”
#10
You can walk around with no pants and go to the bathroom with the door open
Nami Tantrum 4 years ago
joke's on you, i leave the door open all the time.. but that might be because i have cats and a toddler xD
Ola Pe 4 years ago
Yeah, in this case there’s no point closing the door 😀
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Alexis Draskinis 4 years ago
Im married w/ a 14yr old. I dont think in the 16yrs we've been together, ive ever bothered to close the door. We're well aware that everyone poops in our house lol!
Laura Elonen 4 years ago
You can do those very same things also in a comfortable and working relationship.
Rissy cake 4 years ago
Ah yes, and my cat joins me in the bathroom or give me a creepy stare while showering 😂😂
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
Is odd about a dog/cat, the way they follow me into the toilet. I house-sit for a friend and my "nephew-feline" ALWAYS enters the bathroom even when I am taking a dump. He has even jumped into my lap as if checking my progress.
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Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
Which is EXACTLY what I have done since day-1 here and am doing RIGHT NOW.
#11
Being able to nap at the drop of a hat and having the peace and quiet to do so
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
Being able to cram all your chores and errands into the week, so you can lock your door, turn your phone off, and do nothing, lovely, stress-free, blessed nothing, all weekend. Put on your pajamas when you get home from work on Friday, and not get out of the, until you have to get dressed for work on Monday. Ah yes, I remember it well (married now, love my husband, but periodically dream of the unlimited me time I used to have).
Ozymandias73 4 years ago
I come home and if I'm tired, I can just lay down and take a nap if I'm tired with no worry of someone having to tiptoe around me, or me worry about someone waking me up (or keeping me up). It's sooooo nice
Becky Graybeal 4 years ago
When my last ex finally left, that was the most beautiful part ~ uninterrupted naps.
#12
Dieting is like 400x easier. I know it's a bad excuse, but hear me out. When I'm dieting I won't buy a single junk food item, and I won't eat it since I won't have it. Live with someone who buys tons of junk, especially someone who buys food and doesn't expect you to not eat it, like your parents, and it makes it a lot harder.
Yeah I know it's a bad excuse for breaking diet but it's super easy for me to just never buy junk food and never have it around but it's hard for me to avoid it when I'm living with it
EP 4 years ago
Not a bad excuse at all. Living alone gives you total control over your food choices without obstacles. That’s just fact. No one has made a big meal and the food will go to waste if you don’t eat it and you feel pressured. No one has ordered pizza and asks if you want some and you started your diet 4 hours ago. It is way easier to shed pounds alone. It’s a silver lining of being alone.
Dandelion Patch 4 years ago
That was why I was thin when I lived alone. I only had to avoid temptation one time: in the store. As long as I didn't buy the junk food, it wouldn't be in the house.
CrunChewy McSandybutt 4 years ago
I find this to be true. I'm trying to keep a plant-based diet, but it is extremely difficult when I live with a Meat-and-potatoes man. Either I cook two meals, or I eat sides.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Grew up with a family that was eating mostly pasta potatoes and meat! My mum was trying but nobody else wanted vegetables and she didn't have the time to cook extra meals! Struggling with my weight all the time constantly doing unsuccessful diets! First year out of home lost 5 kilos in a few months very easily and healthy
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Linda Tisue 4 years ago
No, it is not a bad excuse for breaking a diet. Especially if you have to cook the stuff for the other person.
Desiree McKinnon 4 years ago
I know how that goes. My husband whines about not having peanut butter in the house. I don't buy it cause when it's around I have a bad habit of eating it by the spoonful. That stuff is so fattening. So I stopped buying it. Problem solved.
Alethia Nyx 4 years ago
There's also the flip side to this, being the housemate who is being constantly judged for eating junk food is really uncomfortable. I had a housemate who was an obsessively healthy eater (so much so it was actually an eating disorder). I eat a fairly balanced diet, everything in moderation, including junk food and I hid my junk food in my room because of the judgement, looks and snide comments I would get for it being in the kitchen cupboard, or for being seen eating it.
It's no wonder that living alone may get pretty lonely. Susan said that the best way to avoid loneliness is the MGP Method: Mindful, Grateful, Positive. She explained: “Mindful: Instead of regretting the past, or pinning your happiness on some future event (that may or may not happen!), focus on where you are in life right now. We spend 100% of our lives in 'now'! It's OK to reminisce about the past and make plans for the future, but enjoy those when it's appropriate to do them. Focus on what you're doing, sensing, feeling, and observing in this moment. Experience this moment. Be curious about it. Immerse yourself in it—whether or not the moment is good, bad, or indifferent.”
#13
Being able to do whatever you want without consulting someone else first
Rata Robinson 4 years ago
Making your own mistakes and having nobody looking over your shoulder pointing them out :)
Howard Moody 4 years ago
And if you see something you want to buy just going ahead and buying it.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Or checking in with them. I’m married to a world class worry wart, so I call when I’m on my way home, or when the plane lands if I’m traveling, to stop him thinking something awful has happened to me. I mean, in a way it’s nice, but in another way it’s kind of annoying (especially if you’ve had total autonomy for decades before marrying, like I did).
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
"It's no wonder that living alone may get pretty lonely. Susan said that the best way to avoid loneliness is the MGP Method: Mindful, Grateful, Positive." Yes. I had a small private sleeping space when I lived with 11 other guys...so I could shut and lock the door behind me. But eventually I had to leave the room to go to the kitchen (and see half my food eaten, dirty dishes...community pots/pans for cooking missing) or the bathroom (and see the bedbugs and roaches on the floor/walls). Plus we lived in the middle of a downtrodden ghetto with nowhere to go. I felt trapped. Now, I live in a much more commercially upscale area, with a sense of spaciousness that invites you to go out for a walk. Coffee shops and well-kept parks are nearby. There is less loneliness and more a feeling of pleasing options
globallake 4 years ago
Not waiting on someone for plans you made, only to go with them and they are angry. Nothing is fun.
#14
You can talk out loud to yourself (something I do often as I work from home) and nobody is around to think it's weird
Daria B 4 years ago
Not if you're in an apartment building with thin walls.
Load More Replies... Pungent Sauce 4 years ago
That’s why you have a pet. My cat knows an incredible amount about planning DIY projects and my thoughts about the neighbors.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Is the cat sharing his/her murder plans with you too?
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
I do the same. It’s my way of working out problems, or figuring out other stuff that has me stumped. I have pets, and sometimes I talk it over with them. Sometimes you actually need to hear the words said out loud to trigger the solution to present itself.
Veronica Sjöberg 4 years ago
Yeah! Its like therapy and i find it strangely calming to talk about my issues out loud by myself. Used to do that all the time when i was living alone.
#15
When I lived alone I would clean my place and it would stay clean. Now I clean my place and it is messy again in about 10 minutes, it feels like.
Sum Guy 4 years ago
I do one proper cleaning a week on sunday... and it stays that way until I mess it up Saturday
Bethany Wolfe 4 years ago
I got rid of two husbands but then adopted a 140lb dog. I'm back in the same zone but it is still better :)
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Buren 4 years ago
How come when I clean my place it doesn't stay clean? I live alone too. This is myth
[]v[]ELi *[]V[]iss[]V[]y[]V[]iaPie13 4 years ago
Ughhhh I clean all day I wake up next morning, to tequila with limes all over unwashed cups I myself don’t drink..my nephews wife is to lazy to clean up after herself because she comes home exhausted from work to clean up after herself and even if she’s had rest the mess is still there..I’m not your maid, I’m not married to you, not my job to clean up your sh!t. You don’t pay rent . She announced she was approved for a loan so she can start looking for a place….I screamed happily inside…love my nephew but NO.
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
I have a small, compact but beautifully complete apartment. Is easy (and better) for me to just keep it clean. No dishes left in the sink, spot-sweep and mop floors, etc. Takes less than 5 minutes. After years of having to deal with other peoples' filth, I LOVE having the option to live more tidily.
Denny Cwiek 4 years ago
My job drains me during the week to the point that I can barely take dirty dishes into the kitchen or hang up the clothes I've worn. I just let the place go to hell during the week and then on Saturday morning I buzz around my small place picking up, putting away, cleaning, etc. I get a kick out of the before and after. Then I have a nice place for at least the rest of the weekend.
“Grateful: If we're staying focused on this moment, right now, then it just makes sense to make it the best it can be, right? So, what's good about it? What can you be grateful for—no matter how small? Find wonder and awe for trees, rain, snow, and sunshine you see from your window; be amazed by the technology that makes our lives easier, like cell phones, TVs, and computers. Be grateful for the tiniest of 'wins' in your life, like when you remember to take out the trash, have enough money to pay the electric bill, or have enough food for dinner. Make your mantra, 'Something good about right now is...'”
“Positive: Instead of thinking, 'This stinks!' or, 'I really hate being alone,' or 'I'll never find someone to share my time with,' change the Negative Nancy talk in your head into something positive. Instead, think, 'I can watch anything I want on TV,' 'I love being able to eat whenever I want,' and 'Maybe I'll have someone in my life someday, but for now I'm going to enjoy my freedom!'”
#16
You never have to watch terrible movies, wait to use the bathroom or take a shower, you can eat what you want, and you can decorate however you like.
Zoe's Mom 4 years ago
Or if you watch a sappy movie, you're not made fun of for crying.
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Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
That guy looks like Leon Trotsky if he was reincarnated as a hipster
Denny Cwiek 4 years ago
When I was married we took turns picking out 3 movies we would like to watch, then the other person had to pick the one they least disliked.
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
AGREED!! THIS is a MAJOR advantage. The dude who managed the halfway house wanted to create a "mancave-like" ambiance. He put a big-screen television in the dayroom with deluxe cable (sports) service. It would be on ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT, with certain of the housemates and their friends drinking smoking, eating anf making a noisy mess. And the dayroom was right outside my sleep room. Is 2am and I'm overwhelmed with the sheer noise, and the fumes of weed, cigs and Black&Mild cigars. Street-people would come in to use the toilet, even take showers...making the residents wait. It was bedlam. So GRATEFUL all of that is over.
Katherine Boag 4 years ago
We agree on what to watch together or we watch it seperately. Who makes their friends/partners watch something they dont want to??
#17
You dont have to tiptoe around the house worried you'll wake up roommates/family members.
A B C 4 years ago
I live alone, but in a multi-appartment building with a very, VERY noise-sensitive neighbour underneath. I get it that they complain about music late in the evening (I adapted by wearing my headphones from 9pm on, no big deal), but by now, it feels like they complain if my farts are too loud. Can't even watch a movie on a saturday afternoon without worrying if he'll complain to the landlord about me. Goddamn, I hate that neigbour.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Ten years ago moved to a new apartment and for the first week my new neighbor was constantly knocking on my door to complain! At one point i was on my couch watching a movie with headphones and she complained! I yelled at her and she didn't bother me ever again! Sometimes neighbours are just crazy
Load More Replies... Tami 4 years ago
Then vengeance comes at 2 a.m: MEOW, MEOW, puuurrrr, MEOW!
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Alexia 4 years ago
This so sooo deep for me. I lived with my disfunctional family, before affording to move alone. It was hell. My father had/ has self-control issues and fury crises. I used to tiptoe around the house, I'd jump from my sleep when the door would open and lived in constant fear that he'd start yelling at me out of the blue. The first Christmas I spent alone was the happiest day of my life.
Demetri Bryant 4 years ago
THAT is NEVER an option in an inner-city ghetto environment. Drama happened at ALL HOURS. Drunk folk would drive up to the place at midnight with their bluetooth speaker blasting, bang on the door, and want to party. So GLAD those days are over hopefully forever.
Connie Martin 4 years ago
I don't mind this. It's an expression of love for those sleeping. A very simple one
Nami Tantrum 4 years ago
i don't tiptoe around with family either.. they just sleep through it...
#18
So i've been living alone for the last couple of years and to be honest i feel like i want it to stay that way for the rest of my life for the following reasons:
I can make any food i like and if i feel lazy i can eat outside i don't have to answer to anyone or cater to anyone's needs
I just clean the house once per week and it stay squeaky clean for the rest of the week.
I can do whatever i want in my free time sometimes i want to go out and do something interesting other times i want to be a couch potato i do not have to cater to anyone's needs.
Budgeting becomes super easy i manage to save a lot of money and at the same time buy whatever i need.
I have a king size super comfy bed all for me if its too hot i can remove the covers, if it's too cold i can put on as much covers as i need no need to ask someone for their permission.
I can invite any of my friends anytime i want and we can do whatever we want anytime we want.
I work in a stressful career and nothing beats coming home to a nice quiet house and just relaxing and recovering from a stressful work day without having to answer silly questions like how was my day or having to listen to how another persons day went.
These are just a few reasons i thought of the top of my head i am sure i could have come up with more reasons but suffice to say that no matter how much i think about it when i compare my single days to the days i was in a relationship the single days always end up being much better.
Zoe's Mom 4 years ago
I was also going to post that you can invite anyone over without asking if it's okay. This is one of the reasons I purchased a 2 bedroom condo; in case a friend or family member were in a difficult situation, I could offer a roof over their head. Granted, it would be for a limited amount of time so they can get their life in order. I LOVE living alone with my dog.
Annette Blanks 4 years ago
Amen to that the happiest periods of my life were always when I was single and the married days were the worst
François Carré 4 years ago
And the king size bed deserves to be a whole answer in itself, and upvoted to the top.
Susan explained that it's not being alone that makes you lonely; it's what you tell yourself about it, how you perceive it, that makes you feel bad. “So, who wants to feel bad? Choose to change the way you view being alone. Focus on the benefits and the good parts. Focus on solving the problems that arise from being solo, instead of complaining about them.
Mindfulness + Gratitude + Positivity = Happiness,” the life coach concluded.
#19
If there’s a mess and no one else sees it, is there even a mess?
Robert Thompson 4 years ago
My new 12v car battery is literally on my desk right now. Who is going to tell me that it doesn't belong there?
Dale-Harriet Rogovich 4 years ago
No. And during my years as a single mom I discovered I had done it right: my daughter had a friend over after school who looked around and said "Kinda messy, huh?" and my child, the fruit of MY loins, said "Nope. It's busy."
Miss Frankfurter 4 years ago
I haven't figured out the tree falling in the woods thing yet and now you've posed another one just like it! My brain is breaking!
#20
Not coming home to someone else's dirty dishes in the sink
Karen 4 years ago
LOL just did my dishes, unhungried the cats, cleaned their box and made a cuppa
thatmagicgaychick 4 years ago
you don't have to deal with other people's dishes, laundry, mess, etc.
#21
You can walk around naked 24/7
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
For me, it's not about being naked, but I do wear some really gnarly clothes. Today I am cleaning, wearing a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, both big and baggy with bleach stains and holes in them. I sleep in ancient (but super soft and comfy) tee shirts and don't have to wear a bra if I don't want to.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Yes!! 1000 times yes! I never throw pajamas unless they are completely ripped! If something is comfortable it stays with me forever so when home i wear completely torn and old clothes
Load More Replies... Denny Cwiek 4 years ago
I have lots of houseplants which means lots of uncovered windows to let in natural light. I have to be a little more careful but it's fun to get away with streaking in front of the windows every now and then.
DennyS (denzoren) 4 years ago
Oh yeah, which is much more fun than you think...for those doubting it.
#22
You know exactly what state your home is going to be in when you arrive back at it
AliJanx 4 years ago
I get really weird when leaving for a trip. I like the house clean and straight. No dishes in the sink, beds made, house vacuumed, dirty laundry at a minimum. I do this so when I'm done traveling, All I got to worry about is dirty clothes from the trip and dinner the night I arrive. Makes me happy to come home to a straight house.
Big Blue Cat 4 years ago
No strangers at your home when returning from work. No drunk people. Bliss that I still remember to be thankful of, 15 years after divorce.
#23
You can basically do whatever whenever without bothering anyone. When I lived with my parents if I showered after like 9pm, you'd think I'd been running around the house playing a keytar or something with how much they complained about the noise the next morning. Plus I don't wake up to anyone else's noise, either.
Sometimes if I wake up while dreaming and I'm super disoriented I think I'm back home and worry that I'm going to hear people walking around, slamming doors, yelling at each other, etc. at some point, then I remember that I'm in my own house, in my own bed, alone with my dogs so I can rest in peace. (Not dead, though, hopefully.)
I think I value living alone a lot more because I grew up with parents that thought screaming at each other every other night was the best way to work out their conflicts. Silence in my house is absolutely golden.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
My mother would “clean” my room, which meant snooping. I had zero privacy, so learned to keep private stuff anywhere but home. I left at 18 too, and loved knowing my private stuff would stay private in my own home. Needless to say, once I left my parents’ house, I never went back.
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The Starsong Princess 4 years ago
My parents are lovely but they have the TV on full volume ALL. THE. TIME. They never turn it off 24-7. Drives me nuts. Apparently, it’s because my father has tinnitus.
#24
Learning life skills. Paying your bills, cleaning, time management, etc.. You just end up learning these based on experience.
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 4 years ago
All the food will be stuff you like bc you can grocery shop for yourself.
zrwhol cue 4 years ago
The entire page can be done withouth being alone if you get nice people around you...but this...this is the one and only
#25
For many years I lived in a full size (3br 2ba)family house all by myself. Freaking LOVED it. My brother lives with me now but that's still super cool. Really the best part is simply not having to deal with people.
Anime Panda 4 years ago
I love not dealing with people. Like this person said"the best part is simply not having to deal with people." Aren't all of our brothers/sisters/siblings aliens?
renee brack 4 years ago
Me too. Live alone. 3 bedrooms. 2 bathrooms. Balcony. Deck. I use all the space and I love it. But when I think about prison, I get scared and not for the reasons most people do.
#26
Every second is yours. No waste. No waiting on someone else ever. No cleaning up after anyone else. No doing something someone else wants. It's incredibly efficient, unless you're dying.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
Yeah, it looks like someone sent him to stand in the corner as a punishment.
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No you didn't 4 years ago (edited)
Plus you can stand right in front an osb wall half naked all you want.
Peter Weir 4 years ago
more time to let the body dissolve in the tub without room mates..unless it is the room mate..
#27
Knowing exactly where everything is. There's no compromising. All my belongings are in the perfect place
Dave Parker 1 year ago
I don't have to worry about anybody throwing my stuff away without my permission. That's something I hated about my first wife. She would decide that I somehow didn't need something anymore and throw it away or give it to somebody without my permission, or even mentioning it to me. Things would just be gone. She would move things somewhere else because she decided that where I put it was the wrong place. It didn't matter if it was the right place for me or not. She would move it and not tell me where she moved it to unless I asked her. That's just very disrespectful of another person. Yet, women think they have every right to disrespect their husband's rights. This is one of the reasons why we don't miss you when you are gone.
Scott Rackley 4 years ago (edited)
Unless you've had a few too many and drunk hide it from yourself...
Bobby Sammons 4 years ago
Yeah, now when I can't find something, it is because I forgot where I put it.
#28
Being able to come and go as you please. Doing stuff at any hour and not worrying.
I like to cook and clean during my productive hours (2-5am), and I like to shop at midnight when noone is about to bug me.
Now living with my husbands family I have to keep to their schedule of up at 8am and asleep at 11pm. I also listen to them argue all day every day, get yelled at in crossfire and have to take care of a three year old.
I much preferred being alone. I am only still here because I love my husband too much to leave, but this is year 5 now, it is rough...
Eliška Matějů 4 years ago
I'd rather let my partner live alone then have them deal with my parents sh*t tbh.
Zoe's Mom 4 years ago
I wish there was more content because after 5 years you would think they had a large savings enough to move on.
Kimi Tomminello 4 years ago
Yikes!! Maybe consider speaking with your hubby about the impact of your child seeing this level of stress? Maybe you can work out a way to keep the in laws separate from you during time that your child is around? You have to live with their sleep schedule maybe they can deal with your parental schedule.
Lori T Wisconsin 4 years ago
Tell in-laws to shut up. Daily arguing is not healthy for the child.
MrOwlAteMyMetalWorm. 4 years ago
We are safe enought to go shopping at midnight and well,just go for a run at 3am?I'd honestly love to do that.
Bethany Wolfe 4 years ago
Some spouses don't want to become full adults. So, they stay with their parents and try to go along with whatever their parent(s) might like. Unfortunately, this means that their spouse and/or children will pay the price for a person not growing up.
Dale-Harriet Rogovich 4 years ago
Courage! There are spouses who are worth it (I have one). We're both creaky-old now; it's all the advantages of Living Alone with BENEFITS (he's tall enough to reach my cupboards, for example).
#29
You don't have to politely tell someone you will be out late
4 years ago
I live alone, but I have to have a talk with my cats if I'm going to be out late. They need to know, otherwise the look of betrayal on their faces is to much.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
You mean you don't have the judgmental look when you come back anyway?
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Julie C Rose 4 years ago
Eh, I’ve lived in shared houses where we all kept to ourselves, and we never needed to disclose this kind of thing to each other.
Dale-Harriet Rogovich 4 years ago
That's true, about the cats - mine lay on their backs with their tongues hanging out if it's been more than an hour. They're old,, they're Jewish, they're dramatic.
Microwaved Robot 4 years ago
You must not have any Pets. I always tell my Cat that I am leaving, and to be good while I am gone. I know LOL I am already 'gone' in the head. Granted I do not tell him that I won't be late, just to be good while I am gone.
#30
I live alone and [poop] at work; a six pack of toilet paper is a year's supply.
Hugo Raible 4 years ago
I earn a nickel/when my boss earns a dime/and that's why I poop/on company time.
#31
Got the whole bed to myself.
Biba Little 4 years ago
yeah, again, two cats, have all sort of chairs and cat beds but apparently my bed is "the ultimate space".
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#32
Décor - one of the best things about having your own place.
Not having to answer to anyone inside those four walls.
#33
Closet space, man. I never appreciated this until my girlfriend moved in. Now my closet is literally jammed packed with her clothes and I basically have a couple drawers for all of my stuff. There's no end to it either. Every time we do laundry, she materializes more and more clothing. I think to myself "the closet is completely full; all the hangers are used. We've put everything away. There's no way she could possibly have more clothes" more stuff just appears out of nowhere.
Sapna Sarfare 4 years ago
As a woman, I never understood the concept of keeping so many clothes.. I have enough... My closet has some stuff which i keep for various reasons. Rest, i have given away.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
It's really easy to accumulate clothes in my opinion. And since they are never all in the closet, because some you are wearing and others are in the laundry, a lot of people don't even realize how many clothes they have.
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#34
The whole house is your bed. Fall asleep on the couch. Turn over and pass out on the office futon. You might even want to make it to your actual bed if it's worth the effort... But no matter what, there's nothing forcing you to an arbitrary sleep station. I don't even know why I have a bedroom anymore, the couch is so much more comfortable.
GoddessOdd 4 years ago (edited)
Yes... I have three bedrooms, one is my office, one a den, one where I sleep. I can nap in any of them, or the living room, whenever I want. I don't have anyone worried because I am sleeping too much or too little. I recently retired, and I am getting used to having totally unstructured time, but I don't have to answer to anyone if I stay up all night reading, or sleep a rainy afternoon away.
#35
Never discovering all the hot water is gone when you get in the shower.
Two_rolling_black_eyes 4 years ago
I was searching for this one. I grew up with 7 "roommates" and the best thing about living alone is hot water whenever you want it. Even if you need to throw a shirt in the washer before work because you forgot the night before, there's still enough hot water for a decent shower.
#36
The mundane way of living life with no responsibility to anyone else. I miss waking up in the mornings, reading a book and just watching the city light up from hundreds of miles away while eating breakfast. Then coming home, shaking off the day's work before making a light dinner, finishing a project and then cuddling in bed with a movie or book after a warm bath. Just to wake up the next day and repeat it. I love my life but I'm always busy with work and it has become unpredictable. I'm never alone. Sometimes I miss the solitude of a quiet home. Sometimes.
#37
No one judges you when you drink alone until 4am to play Fortnite and watch The Office
Biba Little 4 years ago
or in my case Superstore and Orphan Black, while eating Nutella straight from the jar.
Julie C Rose 4 years ago
I’ve lived in very hands-off shared houses. As long as you use headphones after 10pm, I don’t give a s**t.
#38
living alone is the best arrangement. You can do whatever the hell you want. The better question is what’s the advantage of living with someone.
Hugo Raible 4 years ago
The advantage of living with somebody: You're never alone. The disadvantage of living with somebody: You're never alone.
#40
You can be a total hedonistic layabout whenever you're home and no one will be there to make you feel sh*tty about it. Not that one should feel sh*tty about anything they choose to do with their off time, but it definitely bums me out when I'm having a nice lazy day of binge watching/eating/drinking and someone who's actually accomplishing things is anywhere in my vicinity.
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
Yes... although I still feel guilty when I even hear from my effervescent energetic friends when I'm in veg mode.
#41
Coming home and relaxing on the couch. Different with a spouse but I went from a single bedroom to a 4 bedroom. I would come home at midnight to 6 people drinking outside my bedroom door. Or I would be watching a movie and 5 people would walk in. Or I want to sit down and chill after a long day and theres my roommate in my house who wants to catch up.
#42
You can leave those clothes in the dryer as long as you like.
Robert Thompson 4 years ago
Is the car in the drive way or in the garage? Who cares, no one else needs to park.
#43
You never have to worry about someone else paying their share of the rent on time
Demi Zwaan 4 years ago
Oh. I guess they mean living together with roommates. I was thinking more like in a relationship. We don't really do roommates here in NL (expect in some student situations).
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
I recently learned that some couples split their expenses. Each party pays half of the rent and utilities and other costs of living.
Load More Replies... GoddessOdd 4 years ago
More than that for me is being able to single-handedly decide where the money will be spent. I don't need 14 streaming services, but I buy a lot of books, and I donate money every day to some good cause or another. I don't need to account to anyone about my spending, except in the most general way to my money manager
#44
No judgment about anything from anyone. Insert your preference - no judgment
MrOwlAteMyMetalWorm. 4 years ago
Has anyone found anyone on this planet and been this level of comfortable with that human?Am guessing it's not.Compatibility is bullshit.
#45
Never having to close the bathroom door
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
You don't have to close the bathroom door. I leave it open all the time.
DragonflyGreen 4 years ago
Some of us are zero amount comfortable with that.
Load More Replies... #46
Not getting stuck with a long-ass Netflix list you can't watch because she "wants to watch it, but don't want to watch it right now" So you end up re-watching sh*t you've already seen because it's a nice easy watch.
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
I've lived alone for decades, and I have a super long watchlist, and find myself watching old stuff over again and again.
#47
No one will see or hear you cry
#48
Nobody steals the blankets.
Julie C Rose 4 years ago
However, cats will plunk themselves right in the middle of the bed lmao
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
Could you please explain this to my two Boston terriers? We have constant nocturnal furors over blankets, temperature in general, and use of the bed. They are always freezing, and want to sleep snugged right against me, or they'll roll themselves up in the covers, which is better, but it means I need to fight to have any covers at all.
Pezor Zass 4 years ago
when my wife and i still lived together, we shared the bed, but had separate blankets. partly because of blanket-stealing, partly because she needs a heavy comforter that would cook me alive.
#49
Not having to be quiet coming home because somebody might be sleeping.
#50
that last soda in the fridge is still there.,..and so is your left over chinese take out that you have to specially order because of a soy allergy you have...
DragonflyGreen 4 years ago
This. You don't have to worry about that special dish or that leftover you have for lunch the next day being gone when you go to eat it. Grrrrr
#51
Don’t have to share your washer/dryer
#52
You get to hang with the ghosts without someone making them go away cause they don't believe
#53
Here are a few I can list off the top of my head... * Complete and utter quiet, solitude, and peace upon waking up * Everything is yours and you don't have to share anything, everything is the way you want it and nobody will ever complain - ever. * You get to watch whatever you want, play video games whenever you want, and nobody is going to bother you * You can talk out loud to yourself (something I do often as I work from home) and nobody is around to think it's weird * Get day drunk, eat pizza like a slob, and fall asleep on the couch and nobody gives you that "look" * Fart as loud as you want or take huge, gurgling diarrhea sh*ts with the door open because who gives a f*ck * Watch porn on your big 4K TV and masurbate right there in the living room - no need to keep it on your tiny phone, masturbating in dark corners like a shameful ninja * Take up the ENTIRE bed - it's all yours baby * Inviting anyone you want over, anytime you want, because nobody is there to tell you otherwise. F*ck it - have a party with a bunch of strippers. That's all I got for now.
Brîndușa 4 years ago
Both of you are serious???The adults don't masturbate?Please...
Load More Replies... Hugo Raible 4 years ago
Living the life :) And yes, no one judging you like some guys here in the comment section.
ThEboRedEsTpANdA 4 years ago (edited)
I think this person just copy-pasted some of the other posts and then slightly edited them... (Edit: also the one's they didn't [eg the last 4 minus the second-to-last one and kinda the 5th-to-last one] are disgusting ewewewewwwww)
#54
Nobody will know that 35 years old man with beard watching anime
Laugh or not 4 years ago
What is wrong with watching anime whatever your age and what has a beard got to do with it?
Callie Dryer 4 years ago
I get it. People are so damn judgmental and think you’re some kind of pervy weirdo
What do you think ?
Biba Little 4 years ago
Thank you for this, now I feel better about living alone. It sounds more like a privilege than just "being alone".
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
Living alone IS a privilege. I am far happier than many of my friends, because I live alone and have total autonomy. Happiness is a choice, and sometimes it's easier to make that choice when you're solo. I enjoy my own company, I have books, and the music I like, the movies I like, the schedule I like. It is a lucky thing indeed.
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Al Christensen 4 years ago
Except for the year I rented a room, and the five years I was married, I've lived alone my entire adult life. Almost 50 years now? It's great.
Kanuli 4 years ago
I still prefer to do most of these together. If I have the choice not to wait to shower vs shower together, have the bed for yourself vs cuddling with my wife. Watching what I want vs watching what we want together. Food tastes better with her around aswell. I can’t think of anything downside really.
Dre Mosley 4 years ago (edited)
Other than a live-in girlfriend and an extended guest some years ago, I've lived alone for about 20 years. I'm so used to it, that I can't imagine living any other way.
Yoga Kitty 4 years ago
I have been living 'alone', that is with my pets, all my adult life and I love it. You never have to compromise on anything - I have peace and quiet and my favourite food and get to do what I like whenever I like without any further ado. The only times I (sometimes) dislike living on my own are when I am sick because it makes me a bit sentimental and whiny. Usually, I am completely content with myself and the kitties. And I absolutely do not envy my workmates, family and friends all the drama they tell me about. Some people confuse being alone with being lonely. That is not the same, guys! And I defenitely do not need pity from people who have never ever felt the benefits of living on their own! "But what are you doing on Christmas?!?" Whatever I like, as always... But the question I have been asked most often is "But aren't you afraid, all on your own?" It sometimes makes me wonder if people consider their SO as some kind of guard dog?
Biba Little 4 years ago
Thank you for this, now I feel better about living alone. It sounds more like a privilege than just "being alone".
GoddessOdd 4 years ago
Living alone IS a privilege. I am far happier than many of my friends, because I live alone and have total autonomy. Happiness is a choice, and sometimes it's easier to make that choice when you're solo. I enjoy my own company, I have books, and the music I like, the movies I like, the schedule I like. It is a lucky thing indeed.
Load More Replies... Al Christensen 4 years ago
Except for the year I rented a room, and the five years I was married, I've lived alone my entire adult life. Almost 50 years now? It's great.
Kanuli 4 years ago
I still prefer to do most of these together. If I have the choice not to wait to shower vs shower together, have the bed for yourself vs cuddling with my wife. Watching what I want vs watching what we want together. Food tastes better with her around aswell. I can’t think of anything downside really.
Dre Mosley 4 years ago (edited)
Other than a live-in girlfriend and an extended guest some years ago, I've lived alone for about 20 years. I'm so used to it, that I can't imagine living any other way.
Yoga Kitty 4 years ago
I have been living 'alone', that is with my pets, all my adult life and I love it. You never have to compromise on anything - I have peace and quiet and my favourite food and get to do what I like whenever I like without any further ado. The only times I (sometimes) dislike living on my own are when I am sick because it makes me a bit sentimental and whiny. Usually, I am completely content with myself and the kitties. And I absolutely do not envy my workmates, family and friends all the drama they tell me about. Some people confuse being alone with being lonely. That is not the same, guys! And I defenitely do not need pity from people who have never ever felt the benefits of living on their own! "But what are you doing on Christmas?!?" Whatever I like, as always... But the question I have been asked most often is "But aren't you afraid, all on your own?" It sometimes makes me wonder if people consider their SO as some kind of guard dog?
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