r/LivingAlone

I’m in bed in my pajamas, lights off, doors locked, fully committed to going to sleep. Out of nowhere I hear this loud woman’s voice from downstairs. I can’t quite tell what she says, but it sounds like some kind of command, and it honestly feels like she’s standing right at the bottom of the stairs.

My heart just slams into overdrive. I jump out of bed in full fight mode. My CPAP machine, however, did not get the memo, so it yanks off the nightstand, crashes to the floor, and takes my lamp down with it. The crash freaks out my dog, who starts howling like we’re being murdered.

I start heading for the stairs to confront whoever is in my house, immediately step on the shattered lightbulb, and slice my foot open. So now I’m bleeding, limping down the stairs, holding a CPAP hose like it’s a weapon, trying to hunt down this “intruder.”

As I’m going down, it slowly hits me how bad this plan is. I’ve lost any chance of surprising anyone, my “weapon” is a floppy plastic tube, I can barely walk, and to top it off I’m in just boxers and a t-shirt. No pants, no dignity.

Luckily, I don’t end up needing to fight anyone. The terrifying mystery woman? Turns out it was my Bluetooth speaker announcing “Power off” in this super loud, bossy voice, a full hour after I last used it.

Anyway, good night. Hope your bedtime routines are a lot calmer than that disaster.

Basically what the title says. I’m so happy when I get to come home to my space exactly how I left it! Sometimes it’s a little messy but today it was clean & pristine 😇

I want to know what the long-term differences are between living in an apartment and being a homeowner.

What are the pros and cons of either shelter?

I just finished marathoning Love Story: JFK JR and Carolyn Bessette story. I was a kid when they passed and didn't really know anything about them. I enjoyed seeing their story.

Anyways, so now I am back to the search for my next marathon and am interested to hear what you suggest.

I bought our house 25 years ago, it should be paid off, but 3 years ago I had to refinance to pay off credit cards (which I was loath to do because my interest rate went up) refinanced for a shorter time and Rocket Mortgage said I had a rate lock guarantee so if rates went down I could refinance and they would cover closing costs. I really didn’t see another way at the time. One income was/is killing me. I’m still looking for a better job but it’s rough at 50 in a rural area where salaries are stagnant but cost of living rivals more urban areas. I took an extra part time teaching job which has helped some, but it seems like even it gets absorbed, new water heater, trees have to be removed, maintenance in general and it seems like EVERYTHING has gone up the last 6+ years and has never gone back down! I know I can cut my spending and I’m trying but does anyone else live on 50K ish comfortably? I already felt like a failure with not being remarried or in a relationship for…really so long I cannot even type it. My kids are a huge bright spot, successful and our relationships are pretty good for the most part, even spouses! But as I would like to move closer to them (they have asked repeatedly), I’m struggling even there to find a job that pays me more to move. Plus my mother is still in my small town and I’m the only sibling here. So struggle with wanting to be closer to kids but feeling like I am abandoning her. She’s very independent, but there have been a couple of times it has been helpful for me to be here with a couple of urgent care visits. I and my kids have all tried to convince her to move also. I’ve tried counseling, I feel like hormones are off, but finding help in that area even seems hard, no one seems to care about hormones as much as just trying antidepressants, not a huge fan there.

I’ve been a single mom for years, I’m used to one or two things being chaotic but I just feel like everything is right now and whereas I used to relish SOME time on my own it’s just depressing lately-even with antidepressants being pushed! I feel like everyone around me is married, two incomes and have their lives together, even my kids! Which is fabulous and I consider that a huge blessing, I do not take that for granted, but man trying to break out of this gloom.

So I guess that was definitely my vent big time, but anyone gone through or going through similar?

I love doing laundry, hearing the volume of my tv, putting music whenever i want. I love staying at home and cooking food and watch movies. I love getting up in the mornings and walk to my own bathroom without having to wait for someone. I hate washing dishes but I love everything else. I love cleaning my house and the feeling of taking a shower after and go to bed at 10pm in freshly washed sheets. I just love my home

Living alone for the first time has equally been the hardest but my most favourite two years of my life. A mortgage to pay, meaning your job becomes more stressful to perform in as there’s not an option to lose it, pets to look after so you can’t just go away knowing there’s not other people in the house to feed them, doing all the chores by yourself, being ill with nobody there to make you a cup of tea or bring you a get well soon basket, the worries of falling and nobody hearing, sleeping with all the lights on because you’re convinced there’s an intruder, wondering how many days it would take for someone to realise something has happened to you. Feeling so small yet…. In this living alone world, we are so big, as it is just us. My home is clean and it’s mine and I’m proud because I did it. I love when my fridge is full. I love that I get to come home and decide whether my night is gaming, slouching, reading, or making music. Nobody controls me or anything. This space I have created, the connection I have made to my home, is something I can’t explain. I will remember this place when I’m 80, and I can’t wait to tell my grandkids all about my first time living alone and how perfectly I remember every wall and crevice. Living alone has forcefully formed me into someone so independent and confident, and even if I have to eat mashed potatoes or super noodles for dinner when money is low, I will take my candlelit low budget dinners alone over anything else, any day. I am so grateful I have had two whole years to really see who I am behind closed doors. And it turns out I love me.

Does anyone dance while cooking or listening music, I don't know I like to do that, when I was I kid I was shy not alone but after my trauma I lost the energy, but still it seems Great.

Anyone here

I currently live in a bachelors suite apartment with my cat. I love her with my whole heart and soul, and she trots after me everywhere I walk. That said, whenever I leave her alone, I feel so so guilty. But whenever I’m home alone with her, especially for extended periods of time, I tend to get very anxious.

I’ve been living alone for about 3 years now, but it hasn’t been until this recent apartment, probably due to its size, that it’s been really making me anxious.

I struggle with an anxiety disorder, but the idea that I’m hiding myself away from the world and disconnecting from others stresses me out. But knowing that my cat could be alone when I’m all she has literally devastates me too.

I also struggle with binge drinking in specific, and am trying to get better at not letting that enter my mind during the weekends, but when you live alone, it feels like it’s so so hard to course correct.

I don’t know why I’m posting this here, and I don’t know what I’m expecting to get, I think as I sit here anxiously getting ready for work I’m just looking to get this off my chest. It already helps me feel better to talk to people that hopefully get it.

Hello!

I (25F) am soon to be living alone after living with my now ex-boyfriend for the past 2.5ish years. We have broken up recently (no drama, no beef, just different paths in life we want to take), and I will be moving out in a couple weeks.

On one hand, I am very excited to be on my own, especially since this will be my first time living alone! I love my independence and freedom, and I will get to truly live on my own terms in my own space. I can't wait to learn more about myself in this new chapter. I especially will love to have my own bed again and not have to sleep on the couch for much longer lol

On the other hand, I can't help but just have general worries about what it will truly be like. I know it's not all glitz and glamor. My older sister has been living on her own for a little over 10 years now, and she overall loves it more than anything, but she mentioned that it can be overwhelming and lonely at times. And for my case, I will be coping and recovering from the break-up since that has been kind of on pause while still living with my ex-boyfriend, and that just worries me a little bit. I've been through a break-up before, but this break-up was very sudden and unexpected, so it's been bit of a different beast to handle.

I have a solid support system of friends, family, my cat, and mental health providers, so I know that I will be okay and that time and space will heal this wound. It won't be linear, but it will be be progress nonetheless.

If there is any advice/wisdom/reassurance y'all would like to share, I would really appreciate it as I head into this new phase! Thank you <3

Some days eating alone at home feels really calm. I can take my time, watch whatever I want, and no one is rushing me. It kind of feels like a reset after a long day.

But there are also moments when it gets a bit quiet in a way I can't explain. I notice myself scrolling just to feel less aware of it. Anyone else feel both peaceful and a little off at the same time when eating alone?

Weekends hit different when you live alone for a long time. weekdays are fine cause work or routine keeps you busy. but weekends can feel really long if you don’t plan anything. i used to love having nothing to do. just stay in, chill, no pressure. now if i don’t make some kind of plan the day just drags. i end up scrolling or napping too much. then suddenly it’s night and i feel like i wasted the whole day. there’s no one around to naturally break that cycle. no one asking to go out or do something random. so it’s all on me to make something happen. i’ve been trying to fix that by setting small plans. nothing big just going out for a walk or grabbing food outside. sometimes even that is enough to reset the day. i still like my alone time but too much of it feels off now. it’s like i need a bit of structure even on free days. still don’t want roommates or anything like that. just trying to make solo life feel less repetitive. curious how you guys handle weekends alone. do you plan things ahead or just go with the flow

All of us LivingAlone know that social circles can dwindle. On top of that, I'm old and now work nights. Basically, I'm a ghost. I could go out and waste money, but I'm not a bar/club guy... yet.

I completed my first Japanese lesson today and I had forgotten how fun it is to learn another language. I don't really care about Spanish, but I learned it and lived in Spain. Great memories. And all those great socializing feelings came back with just one Japanese lesson. There were lots of mistakes on both sides because she's not perfectly fluent in English and I don't know jack about Japanese. And it was nothing but laughs and learning.

Living alone and working nights can get rough with a small social circle or worse, no social circle. But one little lesson erased all that and I'm looking forward to all the future mistakes. Not to mention the infamous karaoke bar scene in Japan and late night talks discussing the States with people who have never been here and most likely never will. Looking forward to living alone in Japan.

I’ve lived in share houses for about decade, I got my own place almost a year ago and I have been developing really bad habits. It’s like I was embarrassed to be a slob when I lived with people but now I have free rein. I also used to cherish leaving the house because it was a break from the chaos.

Now I’m drinking too much, having men over for “company” too often, have let the gym and my hygiene slide. How do you stay on top of things when there’s no one watching?