Advantages, Disadvantages and Tips for You to Follow

Per Essay – November 11, 2020

Living alone is a dream of freedom and independence for many people.

But for this dream to become reality it is important to step on both feet and critically evaluate all aspects that involve this important decision.

We help you from here with lots of tips and information. Check out!

Advantages of living alone

Freedom and independence

One of the biggest advantages of living alone is freedom and independence.

Freedom to wake up and sleep at any time you want, to go out and arrive whenever you want, to welcome friends, among other things.

All of this produces an indescribable sense of freedom.

Privacy

Who has never had privacy problems when living with their parents? A natural fact of life.

But when you decide to live alone, privacy is not lacking. So, one more point in favor of your decision making.

Ripening

It is also worth mentioning that along with freedom and independence there is also something very important: maturation.

Every person who goes to live alone gains maturity and a new sense of responsibility, something important in several aspects of life.

Your life your way

Living alone is also synonymous with living your way, as you always wanted. This means decorating the house as you wish, doing housework the way you see fit, among other things.

Disadvantages of living alone

Do you remember the pros and cons we mentioned earlier? Well, you’ve seen the pros, now it’s time to discover the disadvantages of this decision:

Take responsibilities

For many people, the idea of taking responsibility is seen as something negative. But it is not quite there.

Taking responsibility means taking control of your own life, keeping in mind that from that moment on you will be able to rely only on yourself, whether to pay a bill, to cook dinner or do your laundry.

These responsibilities also have to do with keeping an eye on whether it’s time to shop at the supermarket or check to see if the lights have gone out before leaving the house. Remember there is no one else to do these things for you.

But understand: this is part of the process and, in the end, it needs to be seen as a good thing.

Be alone

Getting home and having no one to greet you or talk can be very frustrating, especially at the beginning.

But, fortunately, nowadays it is possible to rely on technology to relieve that feeling of loneliness. So don’t miss a good video call with your parents, siblings and friends.

Living alone: planning

Check out below how you should plan to realize the dream of living alone.

Make a financial reservation

What most impacts the life of the person who wants to live alone is finances. It is super important to have a good financial support to not get into trouble.

And we are not talking here about turning to parents, okay? We are talking about long-term planning and vision.

That is, before you even leave your parents’ house you need to make a financial reservation that guarantees your livelihood even if something unforeseen happens, like losing your job, for example.

The tip is to make a reservation that is equivalent to four months’ salary. Therefore, assuming you have a monthly income of R $ 2 thousand, it is important that you save at least R $ 8 thousand before starting the plan to live alone.

Search the properties well

It is also essential that you do a good property search before leaving home.

Prioritize those closest to your job or college, so you can also save on transportation.

And always be realistic with how much you can spend on rent. There’s no point in wanting to live on the roof of a building if you don’t have the money for it.

Put your feet on the floor (again) and be consistent with your reality. The chances of success will be greater that way.

Put expenses on paper

Do you have any idea how much your parents pay on energy and water bills? Do you know the price of gas? And do you have any idea how much the kilo of beans is in the supermarket?

Yeah! If you want to live alone you will have to start to get used to this information and put it on paper.

Learn how to do household chores

Do you know how to wash clothes? And cook? Do you even know how to sweep a house? Then you will need to learn.

There is another small and fundamental detail in the life of those who will live alone.

Of course, you can pay someone to do this for you, but, let’s face it, it may be much more interesting to handle all household chores on your own.

How much does it cost to live alone

The question that does not want to remain silent: after all, how much does it cost to live alone? The answer is: it depends!

It depends on your lifestyle and what you consider essential. It may be that having cable TV is something indispensable in your life, as well as having your own car.

That, of course, not to mention how much you earn per month, since your costs will revolve around your salary, right?

So there is no standard answer to that question. But we can help you discover this from some basic expenses:

Home

The most important item for you to put on your cost sheet is housing, or rather, rent.

The ideal, according to experts, is that you allocate a maximum of 20% of your income for the payment of housing. This means that for an income of R $ 2 thousand the cost of rent cannot be greater than R $ 400 (we told you to put your feet on the ground).

Transport

Transportation expenses are another fundamental aspect in the life of those who will live alone.

If you work formally for a company, you should receive a living allowance to get from home to work and that is a good thing.

But if you work autonomously it is important to have these values well defined in your spreadsheet.

In addition to the cost of transporting from home to work, you must also account for your home expenses to college (if you study) and to other places you go frequently.

Fixed expenses

Consider as fixed expenses the bills that will arrive at your house every month, rain or shine.

This includes electricity, water, gas, health insurance, car insurance, telephone, internet, cable TV, among others.

And always try to reduce those expenses to what is essential.

food

You need to eat, right? Right! Then allocate part of your income for that purpose.

In the ideal world you would make your own food, eat healthy and not be dependent on fast food.

It turns out that in the real world there is a great chance that you will end up living on pizza, snacks and instant noodles. It’s fact!

But try to maintain a balance, either for your physical health or your financial health, since living on ready-made food can weigh heavily on the budget.

Recreation

Yes, it is important to allocate a portion of your income for fun and leisure, but remember to do it responsibly.

And when the situation gets tough, look for forms of leisure where it is not necessary to open your wallet. There are several options for free shows, theater and cinema, just search.

Extra expenses

Also put about 10% of your income on the expense sheet to cover eventualities, such as a shower that needs maintenance or the purchase of medication because you got the flu.

Most important of all, keep an eye on your financial spreadsheet and your bank statement. Avoid at all costs staying in the red.

What to buy to live alone

Living alone is also synonymous with building a house from scratch. But calm down! We know that it is a lot, so it is essential that you work your mind towards priorities.

The house does not need to be furnished and decorated overnight. Do things calmly and as your budget allows.

Below is a basic and essential check list of what you cannot miss in the home of those who will live alone:

Furniture

Bed
Closet (wardrobe)
Kitchen cabinet
Table and chairs

Home appliances

Refrigerator
Cooker
Oven
Washing machine (will save your time)
Microwave (makes life easier for those who live alone)

Utensils

Kitchen

Dish and sink cloths
Cookware (a frying pan, a medium saucepan and a small saucepan to start is fine)
Plates
Cups
Cups
Cutlery (knives, spoons, forks)
Storage Pots
Colander
Aluminum or ceramic forms
Tablecloth