Living alone is a big adjustment, no matter your life circumstances. The best way to transition into your new lifestyle is to anticipate and prepare for changes. Here are our four best pieces of advice for anyone learning (or re-learning) how to live alone:
Buy Less Food
It might sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget! When you live alone, you won’t need to keep as much food in your home as you might otherwise. This can require some adjustment, and that’s ok! Try to pay attention to how much food you eat in a week or month. Pay particular attention to perishable foods like dairy products. Do you routinely use all the milk you buy? Does food expire before you can eat it?
As you’re paying more attention to how much you eat, pay attention to what you eat, too. There’s no reason to keep buying food you’re not consuming! Try making a list of food you ate at the end of every day. This list will give you a chance to see what you actually need to buy when you grocery shop. Give yourself time to adjust to your new food needs. Don’t be surprised if you need less than you think!
Keep a Cleaning Schedule
You’re the only one who will be keeping your home clean now! When you don’t have to answer to or take care of anyone else, it’s very easy to neglect cleaning. Before you know it, you might let clutter build up and sit out for too long. Don’t forget: cleaning is just as important when you live alone as when you live with other people. You deserve a clean, comfortable space to live.
Make yourself a “chore” schedule for your cleaning. Create daily, weekly and monthly chore checklists to follow. Make these checklists a routine and never skip them. Consider giving yourself a reward for following your routine regularly. Keep following the rules you set for yourself until they become second nature. It might seem silly to impose chores on yourself like this, but establishing the new routine is worth it. Keeping your home clean is one of the most important ways to take care of yourself when living alone.
Make Your Space Your Own
When you start living alone, you may not feel the desire to decorate the way you would if you lived with someone else. In fact, investing your time, energy and money in personalizing your home might feel like a waste of time. It’s perfectly natural to feel that way, but you should take some time to decorate anyway. Making a space your own will help it feel more like home. You’ll feel much more comfortable and adjust to living alone faster!
You should also make your space your own by getting to know it. Figure out where all the electrical outlets are. Get to know how your new appliances and plumbing fixtures work. Find your fuse box, water softener, heating and cooling vents and HVAC unit. Getting the lay of the land will help you feel like you really live in your new space. Just as importantly, you’ll know where something is the moment you need it.
Take Care Of Yourself
This is another obvious tip that’s also all-too-easy to forget. When you start living alone, you’ll find you don’t have as many obligations as usual. You’ll be able to eat whenever you want, sleep whenever you want and basically do whatever you want. You’ll probably find you have much more time to spend on work or hobbies than you may have had before. With all this newfound freedom, it becomes surprisingly easy to neglect the basics.
Remember: you still need to eat regularly and well, get enough sleep, and otherwise take care of yourself. In fact, caring for yourself is more important now than ever! Try to establish and keep a regular routine. Pay attention to how you feel and be careful not to neglect your physical or mental health. Keep first aid supplies, cold medicine and other important care supplies on hand. Have a plan for what to do if you get sick or injured.
Living alone may not feel like a big deal, but it’s still something to prepare for. Whether you realize it or not, your living routine will likely change quite a bit. By preparing for these changes and following the steps above, you can transition into a healthy and effective independent lifestyle.
And remember: even if you live alone, you never have to move alone. Instead, you can always call Wheaton World Wide Moving for help with any kind of move. Whether you’re relocating across the country or just moving a couple of blocks away, we’re always ready to help. Good luck with your new home!
