Having your own space comes with opportunities and challenges.

Living on your own for the first time, with no roommates, is a worthy adventure. It’s an opportunity to claim a space for yourself, live independently and basically do whatever you want. To make the most of your freedom and control, you’ll need to be wise about living alone.

First, some practical tips for living on your own.

The first few months of living on your own can lead to some headaches and stress. If you follow these tips below, you’ll avoid the most common “adulting fails” and hopefully struggle a little less in your new adjustment.  

Don’t lock the door unless your keys are in hand.

You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to lock yourself out of your house or apartment. Whether you are rushing out for work in the morning, or hurrying for a girls night out it’s easy to leave your keys at home. This is especially bad if your door automatically locks, or locks without the key. There is nothing worse than having to call a locksmith to come let you in.

Have a stocked medicine cabinet.

Don’t wait until you’re already feverish, nauseous and feeling faint to go to the drug store. Instead, stock your medicine cabinet when you first move in. Then, if you do become ill, you can just stay at home and actually get some rest.

Make sure your pantry has non-perishables.

If you get sick, or there’s bad weather, or you just get too busy to make it to a grocery store there’s no need to starve. Just keep your pantry stocked with no-perishable and easy-to-make foods for when life throws the unexpected your way.

Buy some flashlights.

If there’s a power outage (there surely will be) you’ll definitely need a flashlight. Also, flashlights are just handy. No one has ever regretted owning a flashlight.

Get a toolbox.

You won’t thrive living alone if you don’t equip yourself properly. Get a basic toolbox and keep it under your sink. Especially a screwdriver with an adjustable head. A small toolkit is perfect for little problems that come up, or for assembling new pieces of furniture.

Now, some sage advice for living alone.

There are practical tips for being on your own (like buy a flashlight), but there’s also advice for trickier issues about living by yourself. How do you keep yourself safe? How do you adjust to more alone time? How do you make friends? We’ve got some ideas.

Put effort into your new home.

Make the space your own. The time, money and effort it takes to make an apartment or house comfortable is worth it. You need a place to land after a difficult day and just take a load off. Make sure to fill it with comfy items and personal items so it feels like home. Then, make the effort to keep it up, because no one thrives in a pigsty.

Meet your neighbors.

Knowing who your neighbors are will make your experience living alone more enjoyable and safer. Research done by Nextdoor showed that 93% of people agree that neighbors should look out for each other and that 35% of people who know their neighbors share safety and crime information with them. It’s good to be in the loop!

(Re)Discover your interests and hobbies.

On days when you don’t have plans, don’t just sit around being bored. Instead, read or watch something that interests you or work on a passion project. Use your alone time to work on yourself and things that matter to you.

Invite people over.

While you might live by yourself, that doesn’t mean you’re the only one who can step foot in your home. Inviting people over will help you build memories in your new home, bond with your friends and make the most of your space.

Don’t just hide at home all the time.

Resist the urge to hibernate in your apartment. Make sure to go on some excursions every now and then, whether it be solo wandering and window shopping, or using a Meetup app to explore a new area of town.

More than anything, just make the most of your new found freedom!

Come take a tour of the Catalina West apartments (3420 Milwaukee Ave
Lubbock, TX 79407) Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Contact Catalina West here. 

 

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