3 hard questions to ask yourself before living alone

Updated
3 Life Hacks For Living Alone
3 Life Hacks For Living Alone

The idea of complete freedom and independence is something that appeals to everyone at one point or another, whether you're young or old. Having to account for yourself and yourself only is somewhat freeing, and living on your own means being able to do things when you want and how you want.

But though living alone comes with a ton of benefits, it can also be unexpectedly lonely, possibly dangerous, and difficult.

Before you make the decision to sleep sans-roommate(s), make sure you've thought long and hard about these three questions:

1. What's the longest amount of time you've truthfully spent alone?

This may seem like an odd question, but often we underestimate the longest amount of time we've truthfully spent without anyone else around us. Being able to spend time with yourself in solitude is important, and a great skill to hone.

But living alone brings on an entirely new environment in which by default, you are alone. It's different than other living situations in which you may be alone by chance of no one else being home when you are, or by choice if you're craving alone time. A couple of hours here and there is something we all get used to, but when you're living alone, there's no white noise, no comfort of the presence of other people (even if they're in another room) and no time that you'll ever walk in or wake up and be able to have someone in person to talk to.

When you aren't used to this, getting adjusted to living alone can be quite eerie and lonely, even if you consider yourself pretty independent. If this is something you're comfortable with, or prefer, living alone is ideal. But if you have any hesitation, it's something you should seriously consider.

40's Couple In Apartment
40's Couple In Apartment


Getty

2. Are you comfortable with the amount that you have tucked away in savings?

Expenses add up quickly, especially when you have no one to help pay for things. And as we all know, you can never expect what life will throw at you next.

Appliances can break, floods and fires can start, accidents and robberies can happen. There are so many unexpected occurrences that we could never possibly plan ahead for. That's why it's important to make sure that you have enough saved away in the event of one of these emergencies, no matter how small or severe.

If something happens and you have to act quickly, will you be able to front the funds without having someone able to spot you immediately? Will you still be able to make rent and pay your utilities if something arises that you'll have to start paying for regularly?

3. How close would you live in proximity to family and/or friends?

This question ties the first two questions together.

Living on your own can be lonely and as a human, you need basic human interaction to function. Whether you're relocating far from home or planning to live right nearby, it'll serve you well to be near people who you can eat with, hang out with, even run errands with (especially in the first few weeks of moving in). You may find yourself surprised at how many basic daily tasks you're used to doing with other people.

Additionally, taking in to account the possibility of an emergency situation, it's important to know that people you know and love (and that know and love you) would be able to come help you. If you come home to find someone has broken in and robbed you while you were gone, could someone quickly get to you to help you contact authorities and support you emotionally?

Sometimes we need other people to help us, whether that means helping us pay for and fix things or just to talk to us at the end of a rough day. Be sure that you're near people that can help you in those ways, and if you're not, be sure that you're prepared for what that may mean in the event of a darker day.

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