I don't miss roommates—living alone was one of the best moves I've ever made. It wasn't easy but I made it work.
And I had a lot to learn!
When you don't live on your own, you aren't entirely responsible for the upkeep of your place. You share the responsibility of, let's say, cleaning the bathroom or the kitchen.
When you live alone, that's all on you. And it can get away from you very easily. I quickly learned how annoying it was to clean my apartment (and it's a studio!) when I didn't stay on top of basic maintenance.
Nowadays? It's spotless and everything has its place.
People shared their best advice after Redditor thepurplehedgehog asked the online community:
"What are your living alone pro-tips?"
"If you haven't been paying bills..."
"If you haven't been paying bills prior to this because you were living with your parents, you NEED to stay on top of that s**t. Keep track of when your rent/utility bills are due each month, and write it down so you don't forget. Getting behind on payments will bite you in the ass later."
IveyMarkey
So important!
Don't let your bills land in collections—bad credit can ruin your life.
"If you have replacement cost..."
"In an apartment get renters insurance and make sure it covers REPLACEMENT COST not actual cash value."
If you have replacement cost and your three year old TV gets stolen, insurance pays to get you a new TV of like kind and quality. If you have ACV coverage and your three year old TV gets stolen, insurance pays you what a three year old TV would sell for on Craigslist."
ThirtyHelensAgree
Absolutely important.
You'll thank yourself later in the event your apartment suffers damage beyond your control, say due to an act of God, like a flood or a storm of some kind.
"The process of cleaning..."
"Take a couple of minutes each day to clean up a little bit. The process of cleaning becomes a tremendous pain in the a** if you put it off. Particularly if you have'special' guests arriving on short notice and don't want them to think you're a slob."
SolidStranger5
Clean as you go!
Don't let dishes sit in the sink overnight, for example.
Maintaining your space for a few minutes each day is much easier than having to do a deep clean because you let things get out of hand.
"If something doesn't have..."
"Storage space is super important. If something doesn't have its own dedicated storages space it usually ends up being clutter."
DodgeGuyDave
Spot on.
I live in an apartment that doesn't have much storage so I've had to be careful.
"I'm an introvert..."
"Don't isolate. I'm an introvert with social anxiety. When I moved into my first apartment by myself I would go for days without talking to another person. At first I loved it but over time I noticed my social anxiety getting worse and worse. I found myself depressed more often than not."
dont_tempt_me_frodo
Social skills atrophy.
It's important to flex them!
You'll thank yourself later.
"Learn to use..."
"Learn to use the delay function on the washing machine. I put it on in the morning before I leave for work and the spin cycle is just finishing when I get back in. No musty clothes sitting damp for hours."
MajorHotLips
The day I discovered this, it changed my life!
So great.
"Rice cookers..."
"Rice cookers can do a lot more than cook rice and there are many tutorials online."
Aok_al
Believe it or not, you can use a rice cooker to prepare breakfast items like oatmeal and pancakes.
You can cook other grains, like barley!
And you can even make meals, like chili!
"Stock up..."
"Stock up on medicine before you get sick. It would suck going out in public when you're physically weak and you won't spread your sickness."
Blackcore8
So important!
It's good to always have medicine on hand.
You'll thank yourself later.
"Befriend..."
"Befriend at least one neighbor or maintain good relations with the landlord."
AdventurousBroccoli
A good landlord will make your life so much easier.
A bad one can easily take a toll on your mental health.
"One of the most important things..."
"One of the most important things when living alone is making sure you don’t go mentally insane. Pick up some hobbies, go for long walks, get to know the neighborhood."
Burrito_Loyalist
It's so important to keep your mind active.
Hobbies are good for both your mind and your soul.
And you really can't go wrong with a walk!
Now that you have some tips and tricks, you'll be more prepared to live alone. If you've never done it before, then you'll be a few steps ahead. If you are, you'll notice some quality of life improvements right away.
Have some advice of your own to share? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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