At some point in life, each one of you might have wanted to live alone. And you absolutely should. Be it wanting some space from your family or experiencing what it is like to live by yourself, everyone has been curious about it. And let me be honest, I have wanted to live alone for as far as I can remember. The thought of having my own space made me giddy with happiness. Just imagining myself in a little house of mine with some cushions on the floor and plants to liven it up made me drool. Not to mention how I imagined myself turning into a Michelin-star chef with a YouTube channel of my own. That never happened, but despite that minor setback, living alone has taught me so much about myself. This is why living alone has been a game-changer for me.

The sweet smell of independence

There’s nothing that makes you feel independent the way living alone does. You are responsible for everything in your life, every decision you make – good or bad. You finally get to live life on your own terms, and what’s better than that?

Learning to be financially responsible

Living by yourself forces you to be financially independent and financially responsible. Because at the end of the day, you can’t go running to your parents to pay your rent. You need to start budgeting ‘coz now you need to pay for the roof over your head and utility bills, buy your groceries, set aside some money for medical emergencies, and you need to save some money and invest for your future. So, unless you follow a strict budget, before you know it, you’ll be living hand-to-mouth and that’s not a good look on anybody.

Related: Budgeting 101 For Dummies: All You Need To Know About Making Your Money Work For You

Distance makes the heart grow fonder

This idiom doesn’t only apply to lovers but to family members as well. If you are the kind of person who would constantly clash with your family when living together, living apart does help make the relationship better. Since you are no longer in each other’s face all the time, the number of fights and disagreements will also go down. And that’s always a win for everyone, isn’t it? Now if this isn’t a game-changer, what is?

Being sick makes you lonely

As much as you love your independence, there will be times when you feel lonely. And being sick is one of those times. Back home with your parents, if you are sick, they are around to make some porridge for you, wake you up to eat something, get you medicines and even take you to the doctor. But when you live alone, you have to do it all yourself. Be it motivating yourself to get out of bed to cook something or going to the doctor, there will be no one taking care of you. And this could make you feel lonely and miss your family a little more than usual.

You find a safe space to let go

When you live with your parents, there are times when you can’t even cry in peace. But living alone gives you a space where you can let your emotions loose, be it sadness or anger. You can cry your heart out in the comfort of your own space, let your anger out, and throw yourself a pity party without any judgement from family and friends.

A lot of money goes to food delivery apps

Coming back home after a full day of work and two hours of travel will leave you too exhausted to cook, especially in the first few months of living alone. You’ll end up blowing a lot of your salary on Zomato and Swiggy rather than cooking your own meals. But if you meal prep beforehand and learn a few quick recipes, you’ll save a lot of money and eat healthy. It takes a while, but you’ll get there.

Cleaning is a pain

Back in the day when you lived with your parents, you probably only had to clean once a year for Diwali. But once you start living alone, you’ll finally realise how much of a pain cleaning the house really is. Unless you have employed someone to take care of the cleaning, that is. There’s nothing more back-breaking than doing the complete ghar ka jhaadu-pocha, even if it is once a week.

Related: Overworked And Missing Your House Help? These 7 Home Cleaning Products Can Fill The Void

Better for your social life

Now that you’re living alone, you no longer have to worry about the curfew your dad set. You can finally go out for those late-night dinners with friends, or a late-night movie date. And if you were stopping yourself from dating because you were living with your parents, you no longer have that excuse when you live alone. Get out there and explore the world, amigo, the world is your oyster.

You get to explore yourself

Living alone gives you the opportunity to explore yourself in every which way – sexually and otherwise. What are your likes and dislikes? Is there an activity you thought you might enjoy but couldn’t because your parents didn’t allow it? Did you want to get a sex toy but were scared to buy one because of your parents? Moving out by yourself allows you to do all of this and more. There are so many things that you can learn and experience when you live alone.

Living alone is not easy by any means, but it sure is liberating and empowering. You get to take charge of your own life, make your own choices, and be responsible for those choices. You can no longer blame others if a decision you took backfires, and that is a learning experience in itself. It also helps that you don’t have to share a room with your sibling and listen to mummy’s taaney when you wake up late in the morning.

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