Ten Signs That You Should Live On Your Own

As a twenty-something year old, I recently took the big step of living on my own this year after living with roommates for a few years (and living with my parents before that). If you're still living with a roommate (or with your parents), and you are contemplating the big move to living alone, here are a few signs that might help you finally take that step to move out on your own.

1. You avoid the common places in the apartment/house as often as you can. The living room, kitchen, and other shared spaces are partly yours, but your roommates never see you use them because you're always hiding in your room.
2. Talking about chores stresses you out. You would rather just do all the dishes, all the vacuuming, all of the dusting because communicating with your roommates is just such a stressful situation for you.
3. You refuse to invite friends over/bring dates home. Your room (because you never use the other areas in the apartment) is more of a hideaway than a place for a social gathering.
4. Waiting to use the bathroom is another big stressor for you. You never know when the bathroom is going to be free for you to use or if you'll have enough hot water to shower with.
5. You've considered purchasing a mini-fridge for your bedroom. Anything to avoid the common areas, as well as to ensure that your food will not be eaten by anyone else.
6. You hate to clean the bathroom! You don't know whose stray hairs are whose, and that's all too gross for you to think about.
7. The noise (and smells!) of your roommates are starting to irritate you. You can't control what your roommates do/watch/listen to, and because you're in such close quarters with them, you end up hearing and smelling everything that they listen to/watch/cook for dinner, for better or for worse.
8. You don't cook as often as you'd like to. Using the kitchen while others are also using it can cause a major headache, especially if you both need to use the oven/stove top at the same time, so instead you just cook a lot less than you'd like to.
9. You look at apartment listings online... just because. Even though you haven't decided to move out on your own yet, you still look up apartment listings because the dream of all that freedom is exciting.
10. The best thing ever is when your roommate goes away for the weekend. Having the place all to yourself is the best feeling ever. You can walk around naked, cook smelly foods, use the bathroom with the door open, anything that you want to do, you can do.

If any of these thoughts sound like you, you might want to consider moving out on your own. From my own experience, this is the best thing you can do for yourself. It's freeing, it's exciting, it's amazing!

[via Apartment Therapy]