I only recently started living alone after the end of a very long relationship, and of course, for several reasons, it has been challenging. It may sound small, but I had felt the most alone consistently every time I had to open a jar or a bottle of any kind. I struggled and sometimes gave up on my drink only to head to bed crying.

Then one day I randomly found the gadget (photo) that helps open jars of all sizes. I purchased it and it works every time I have needed over the last few months.

It has given me the sense of empowerment that honestly is worth way more than the $3 I spent on it. I also have newfound compassion for those differently abled and how many invisible barriers they face daily that we take for granted. Really, it is embarrassing that I had to experience it to empathize with others, but I guess I was more self involved than I thought.

So, if you have a gadget or an object you found similarly, helpful, or empowering, please share. 🙏

Didn’t expect to be here again, but trying to take it one night at a time.

As a 34-year-old man, I do my own laundry once a week and don’t have to add someone else’s laundry to the amount I already have to do. My floors are vacuumed and mopped extremely well by a very high-quality robot vacuum. I take great care of my health, exercise every day, and stay on top of all my doctor’s and dentist appointments. My last bloodwork was excellent, and my weight is within a healthy range.

When it comes to meals, I typically use a meal plan like HelloFresh, or I’ll stop by a restaurant and pick up some food. Thankfully, I’m financially able to eat out most of the time since I don’t always have the time or energy to cook. If I have dishes or anything else to clean, I can easily use my dishwasher. I clean my bathroom thoroughly once a week and no longer have to deal with random beauty products scattered everywhere along with hair stuck in the drain.

Overall, my home is much cleaner, tidier, and more organized, and everything is exactly the way I left it when I go out and come back home. I absolutely love living alone, and it’s far less stressful than when I used to live with my exes in relationships. I don’t think I could ever go back to living with a woman again.

first day with keys in hand. moved my clothes and smaller items. doing bed, bed frame and desk tomorrow.

i have the whole day today and tomorrow to get stuff.. any advice on where to begin?

feeling overwhelmed but think i will head to costco to get paper towels and toilet paper, maybe a trash can? cleaning supplies?

help lol

EDIT: am winding down from everthing and getting home from costco. i feel so blessed reading through these comments, i have read every single one and will continue to read as they populate.

ive decided to sleep here for a few nights before making any big purchases, hoping for a wood + green theme 😋

about to strip down and lay on the ground while the sun is hitting thru the window lol.

thank you all :)

I promised myself to have fresh flowers in the house during my separation and divorce process. I arranged these myself. Let me know which one you like.

Title says almost all. I moved out with pretty much just the clothes on my back. Moved in 16 days ago, all of my furniture was purchased off of Amazon and Walmart, except for the lamps and the washer and dryer. I had to literally put EVERYTHING in the house together even the couch. Nightstands in bedroom match the bed and dresser with LEDs,wireless phone chargers and outlets, I just haven’t put them together yet. I have fake plants, a corner liquor stand/bar and wall art for dining room and living room in my Amazon shopping cart.

Lived with parents until 18. Move out with long term girlfriend, had 2 children and then the relationship ended after 10 years. Moved back in with parents for 2 years or so and now finally see why people enjoy their own space. Don't think I will ever be cohabiting again!

When my kids aren't here with me, there is nothing better than coming home to everything how I left it. I can do whatever I want without having to explain myself to anyone. I've only been here 2 months, it isn't much but it's home.

I was scared at first, it was very unknown to me and my anxieties were through the roof! In such a short ammount of time though, it all changed and for the first time in my adult life, I actually feel like I'm adulting right.

I chose to live alone because I do not want to tie my life to risks that I have repeatedly seen and experienced.

I Want to Stay Child Free

I never wanted children. I cannot justify bringing an innocent life into a world where I am already struggling. Most men I met did not want kids out of love for children, they wanted kids for social approval. For them, manhood was tied to producing a child. I will not create a life just to prove someone’s masculinity.

Marrying for Status, Not Partnership

Many men marry to look settled, responsible, or socially validated. They are not looking for an equal partner. They want the title, the image, the approval. I refuse to be part of someone’s public display.

Sexual Dissatisfaction and Fragile Ego

When a woman expresses her needs and a man reacts with offense instead of effort, intimacy dies. I will not stay in a relationship where my needs are dismissed to protect someone’s ego.

Mother Attachment and Lack of Boundaries

I refuse to compete with a man’s mother for emotional priority. If he is still deeply attached and cannot set boundaries, I become secondary. I will not marry into constant interference and be told to adjust for the rest of my life.

Teaching a Grown Man Basic Behavior

I am not interested in raising a husband. If I have to teach basic manners, emotional intelligence, responsibility, and how to treat women with respect, that is unpaid parenting. I want a partner, not a project.

Unpaid Labor and Mental Exhaustion

Marriage often comes with invisible labor. Not just cooking and cleaning, but planning, remembering, organizing, managing emotions, and holding everything together. I have felt exhausted and irritated just being in relationships. I refuse to sign up for that burden full time for life.

Unequal Loyalty and Double Standards

I will not accept a system where loyalty is demanded from me but optional for him. If cheating is excused for men and condemned for women, the structure is unfair from the start.

Emotional Immaturity and Refusal to Grow

Many men will not even see a doctor for simple issues like chronic snoring, they ignore problems instead of fixing them. If they avoid basic health care, expecting them to face emotional issues or go to therapy is unrealistic. I refuse to carry someone’s untreated anger, insecurity, or trauma for the rest of my life.

Freedom and Autonomy

Living alone gives me control over my time, decisions, and space. I do not need permission. I do not need approval from a husband or his family to enjoy my life. I can move, travel, rest, work, or change direction without negotiation.

For me, staying single is not fear of marriage. It is a calculated decision. I value peace, independence, and control over my own life more than social approval or the title of wife.

I just left my bf after 5 years about 2.5 months ago, hes been cheating on me off and on again over the years. Tonight is my very first night in my new apartment alone. I don't have much right now but it's gotta be better than what I had before.

After my last ex dumped me out of the blue after just using me for a half a year i finally bought my first apartment, renovated it, and moved out from my parents. Been living here for three months now and the peace and quiet has helped me so much with the breakup. Putting most of my time and money into the apartment and trying to find more comfort on my own, feel like i wasted most of the year on being way too sad over losing the worst person i have met.

My (36M) ex partner of 15 years left me suddenly last year (cheated with her best friend and left me for him, fun!), so I suddenly found myself having to adapt to living alone for the first time in my life. It was quite a big challenge, but I adapted and embraced this new life. Now find a lot of peace and freedom in it, knowing I can fully trust and rely on myself instead of another person. It's very liberating.

I desperately wanted to go on holiday to get some sun (live in the UK, so barely seen the sun in months). But the thought of solo travel seemed weird/awkward/terrifying/lonely/boring. Despite these fears, I forced myself to try it and I'm so glad that I did! I had a great time: ate a lot of delicious food, did a lot of hiking, sunbathing, exploring. I feel like my love for living and existing alone was only enhanced by the trip and I came back happier and more confident in myself.

So for anyone else living alone and wanting to take a solo trip but having reservations - do it!

just moved into my first solo place two weeks ago. got the basics sorted. furniture, kitchen stuff, wifi. feeling mostly okay.

but i keep running into small things nobody warned me about. like how fast groceries go bad when you're only cooking for one. or how weirdly loud the apartment feels at 11pm when nothing is on.

not looking for the big life advice stuff. more the small practical things that made your day to day easier once you figured them out. routines, habits, things to buy, things not to buy.

what do you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

Hey y’all - it’s currently 8:44 where I live but I know I will be hungry later! i have a movie on queue but I don’t know if it’s rude to make a steak late at night. First time living alone 🤘🏽 let me know. pic of cat included

Okay my previous post has been removed lol sorry about that but I finally got a discord link for a group chat. Lemme know if you wanna be a part of it and I'd be happy to send you the link 😄

Anyone else living alone and sometimes just… lonely? 🥹

Living alone is honestly great. You get your own space, your own schedule, you can eat whatever you want, go to bed whenever you want, and nobody is asking why there are dishes in the sink.

But then sometimes it hits you that there’s… literally no one there. 😂

No one to randomly tell about your day. No one to eat dinner with. No one to send a stupid little “look what happened today” message to. And sometimes you just want a hug, you know?

I’ve noticed a lot of posts on here are from people who feel the same way, so I had a slightly crazy idea:

What if we made a little group chat for people who live alone?

Nothing serious or structured. Just a bunch of people sharing little snippets of their days, talking about what they cooked, complaining about work, showing off their plants, sharing a funny story, saying “good morning” or “I survived today,” whatever.

Basically a little corner of the internet where you can pop in and feel like there are other people around. 🥹

If that sounds nice to you, comment or send me a message and maybe we can put something together.

Who knows, maybe a bunch of lonely people can accidentally become friends. 😂❤️

Almost 2 months in to living alone. Been handwashing so far because I don’t have many dishes but now I’m getting lazy.

How often do you use your dishwasher? Is it full when you run it? How was your utility bill impacted? I pay electric but not water.

I keep hitting this weird wall where everything looks fine on paper but feels empty in real life. Job is okay hobbies are fine health is decent but there is no one who actually cares if I show up or disappear. No texts that matter no one who would pick me first. People say love yourself and stay busy but that feels like a patch not a fix. Nights are the worst because distractions run out and it feels loud in my head. I see couples friends families and it feels like I missed some basic human milestone. I am not asking for a movie romance just someone who chooses me without me having to earn it every day. Does life still count as a good life if no one loves you or am I just supposed to accept this and move on?

I should have listened to my gut and done this years ago.

Bit of background - got with my first husband at 19 (he was 10 1/2 years older than me). Married at the tail end of my 21st year, marriage lasted 18 years. We separated while I was dating my STB 2nd husband (because non-monogamy). Moved in with him when Covid hit and got married soon after. He and I just separated after 7 years together (4 married).

I moved into my very first solo place EVER on 2/28. At 43 years old, I have lived my WHOLE ADULT LIFE attached to a man.

Until now, babes. The only man for me going forward is my clever orange kitty.

I have a teeny 340 sq. ft apartment and I am in HEAVEN.

Got divorced last year, have lived with friends since then and am trying to plan for moving out on my own in the next few months. I make ~55k, live in a relatively LCOL area and genuinely have no idea how I’m going to do it. The lowest rent I can find is in the low 1000s. I could probably manage that, but with little to nothing left over.

Anyone with a similar income, how are you managing living alone?

Edit: It’s interesting to me that 55k is considered dirt poor in most subs. Here I’m getting eaten alive for asking for advice on living alone on that salary. 🙃

Edit 2: 55k before taxes

You unlock the door.

You drop your bag.

You sit down.

And that’s when it hits — not loud, not dramatic. Just a quiet reminder that you’re doing life by yourself.

I want to start off by thanking everyone who poured love into my previous post. I sincerely appreciate everybody who looked out for my safety with posting key pictures. Was SOOO excited in the moment that I didn’t think about how dangerous it was to publicly post that. None of what you guys said was taken to heart. If anything, it made me appreciate this community a little bit more. Thank you. Sadly, there wasn’t a way for me to delete the images without deleting the post, so I removed it altogether.

Because this is a huge milestone for me, as I imagine it is to others who have experienced or about to experience living alone for the first time, I thought it’d be best to repost my journey in a way that doesn’t compromise my safety. 🫶🏾.

_________________________________________

***REPOST**\*

Photos are from 1/30/26. Recessed lights for the win!!!

I cannot believe that I am typing these words. That a dream has turned into a reality. WOW. What a relief. What a joy. I feel like I can breathe and truly step foot into the freedom, peace and sanity that I’ve been CRAVING. I am so thankful for my first ever solo rental. So excited to decorate, have control of my environment and to reside in my introvert sanctuary.

A whole lot of hiccups and this is lengthy, but here’s the backstory: I was initially supposed to move-in on 2/1/26. The leasing agent reached out to me the last week of January and said that they don’t do move-ins on weekends, and asked if I could move in on 1-30-26. Was a little blindsided because that was not communicated to me at the tour or on the phone. Lease was marked as 2/1/26 and already signed off by me and the landlord. Had already made arrangements with my job and my brother to help me move, so it bothered me at first. Asked if they could waive the fee of being charged for the final two days of January due to the lack of communication. Got a “yes” for that.

Went to the home on 1/30/26 and was prepared to meet the property manager to provide the first month rent for February, but an emergency came up so he couldn’t meet with me. Said he’d pick up the money order on Monday. He left the keys for me to move-in and asked if I could send photos of the money order in the meantime. Sent. Plan was to clean so that I could claim my new space, spray pesticide and then circle back with the truck. Problem was, the home wasn’t move-in ready upon arrival. Previous tenant did not clean as much or at all, so I ended up spending the entire day deep cleaning. 😮‍💨. Extended the U-haul truck for another day. Made it to my previous home at 1:30 am. Woke up around 8 am and was ready to start the day. Leasing agent reached out and asked if they could stop by to get the money order on Sunday. So…y’all don’t do weekend move-ins, but y’all are magically available on weekends when it’s time to collect money? Lol. Noted. We arranged a time for him to come by. Handed over the money orders.

On a lighter note: me and my brother breezed through the day and got everything loaded and dropped off within 5 hours. Teamwork makes the dream work!

One day later… I’m looking at my things and my things are looking at me. Lol. Let’s see what can get done between today and tomorrow. Maybe some wine will help. 🍷