Roommates not your thing? We totally understand. There are many benefits to living by yourself, including a TON of personal freedom when it comes to your apartment.
Since you’ve made the decision to ditch your roommates, or are leaning that way, here are some tips to make the whole transition go easier.
Find a place you feel safe. Often, the biggest concern about living alone is feeling safe, so really shop around when you look for an apartment. You can easily research crime rates in the area you’re considering. Choose wherever you are most comfortable. You can also invest in a small home alarm system for cheap.
Be selfish…kind of. Since you’re living alone, you have no one else to worry about when it comes to decisions about your apartment. Location, decoration, price range…everything is up to YOU! Choose what YOU want and need for your apartment, and do so confidently.
Be close to work. A huge benefit of living alone is being the only person to consider when it comes to location –no need to compromise with a roommate who works across town. Since you’ll likely be spending most of your time at work, consider your commute. If your job is in an area you like, try to find something there that works. If you can find a place close by, your commute can be a breeze.
Build a savings account. This is good life advice anyways, but when living alone, you don’t have anyone to split costs with. If anything goes funky in your apartment and requires $$ to fix, it will be your responsibility. When you move in, consider putting some money aside for apartment incidentals. Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do, you’ll be happy you started saving.
Make friends with your neighbors. This will come in handy when you need someone to watch over your apartment if you go out of town, or pick up a package for you while you’re away for the day. Plus, knowing who lives around you is comforting and can make you feel safer.
Keep your social life busy. If you’re one to stay on the couch as soon as you come home, try to plan social events that you have to stick to! I’m bad at this…once I’m home, I don’t want to leave again at the last-minute, even for something fun. BUT, if you plan dinner/drinks/movie/park/whatever with friends ahead of time, you’ll be more likely to actually go (and have a great time).
Personalize your space. The apartment is all YOURS! Take pride in it and make it your own. Bring keepsakes and things that make you happy to brighten up your space.
ENJOY! This could be one of the last times you really live alone. Cherish your quiet time, or sing and dance around to your heart’s content. It’s your apartment and no one is judging!
Don’t be afraid to Ditch Your roomates when neccessary. Honestly if they bring you down and don’t offer anything to your living environment except for negativity ditch them. Ofcourse help them move and find a place though.