8 Ways To Survive Living Alone For The First Time

Living alone comes with its ups and downs. On one hand, you’re free to do as you like whenever you’re at home. No one’s going to complain if you want to strut around in your birthday suit at 2 in the morning, while you’re drinking milk out of the carton.

On the other hand, it can be quite lonely when there’s no one to share that home with. All the cleaning, cooking and maintenance work will be yours to shoulder, and you won’t have someone to help you out when you can’t open a jar or find your favorite pair of sneakers.

When you’ve flown out of the nest and started living the solo life, here are some tips that will help you deal with all the potential problems that might come your way.

# Give someone a copy of your key

You’ll no longer have anyone to open the door for you when you come home. But this can be something you’ll end up forgetting if you’re not used to living alone yet. Before the time comes when you’ve locked yourself out, it’s always a good idea to leave a copy of your house keys with someone you trust. It will also be much more convenient if this person lives nearby.

# Buy important things before you need them

Whether it’s Windex, insect repellant, a plunger or a spare set of sheets, it’s always a good idea to have these things in handy before you ever need them. Just imagine the hassle of having a clogged toilet without a plunger to use! Sure, you can always borrow some from your neighbor, but it’s much easier if items like this are already somewhere in your house.

# Use peppermint oil and bay leaves to deter pests

For those who are squeamish around pests, you may have a panic attack when you find an unwelcome visitor in your home. To prevent this, sprinkle some peppermint oil in places where rats and spiders might go to. For ants and roaches, bay leaves should do the trick. Prevention is a lot better than cure, no?

# Use a string to zip up the back of your dress

The one thing most women dislike about living alone is having no one to help with wardrobe problems. Instead of calling a friend over or swearing off back zippers forever, we have a handy little trick. Tie a piece of string or a strong thread to the zipper of your dress and pull it up. It works wonders for those who aren’t flexible enough to do it on their own.

# Keep a mirror near a natural light source

With no one around to tell you that there’s a stain on your shirt or that the blush on one cheek is darker than the other, you’ll have to count on your own two eyes. By keeping your mirror near a window, you can see how other people will see you once you walk out.

# Use rubber bands for stubborn jar lids

Who doesn’t have a couple of rubber bands hanging around at home? When you’ve got a jar that won’t open, wrap a rubber band on the lid and another one on the bottle. The added grip should help you pop off the lid in no time. If this doesn’t work, you can hammer the handle of a knife onto the lid to loosen it up a bit.

# Don’t throw away the manual for your appliances

You may think you can figure out how to work an appliance on your own, but there are some unforeseen problems that you may not be able to solve. That’s what the manual is for. Most manuals give you a heads up on the potential problems you may face, along with a handy guide for how to solve them.

But what if you’ve already lost or thrown away your manual? Just keep the model of your appliance in mind and do a search for it online. Some manufacturers have detailed online manuals you can refer to.

# Use Windex when moving appliances

Are you redesigning the layout of your home? Or have you dropped something important at the back of the fridge? Whatever reason you have for moving heavy appliances around, we can all agree that it’s not the easiest thing in the world. But by spraying some Windex beneath your appliances as you move them, you’re creating some nice lubricant to make your job easier. The best part is that it doesn’t leave a sticky residue.