Finding love is framed as the ultimate happy ending, but few people talk about the downsides of getting into a relationship that lasts. Despite what society tells us, being single comes with lots of advantages, many of which you’ll have to give up if you do find the one. While they’re worth losing if it means you’re in a relationship that makes you happy, we can still grieve the loss of these amazing single perks! Read about them below.
- Making big decisions all on your own The freedom to make your own decisions is something that many single people take for granted. It’s not that you automatically lose the right to think for yourself when you’re in a relationship, but having a partner brings someone else into the equation. And with life’s big decisions, healthy couples work as a team. When you’re single, you have the luxury of deciding things like where you’d like to live, where you’d like to travel, and what kind of lifestyle you want all on your own.
- Having ample time for friends and family There’s no question that many people have less time for platonic relationships when they get into a romantic relationship. Having a partner takes up a lot of space in your life, so it only makes sense that there’s less space for other people. While you can still see them when you’re with someone, it’s often easier to make time to catch up with friends and family when you’re single.
- Enjoying guilt-free me-time Everyone has the right to practice self-care and enjoy a little me-time. In reality, it can be harder to schedule in that time when you’ve got a partner. If your lives are already busy with work and other commitments anyway, you’ll naturally want to spend your free time together. That tends to leave less time to put towards yourself. And when you’re in a relationship, it’s easier to feel guilty about taking out some much-deserved me-time. If you have spare time, you might feel like you should be spending it with your partner.
- Not having to deal with toxic in-laws/friends To be clear, not all in-laws will be toxic. And you might love your partner’s friends. But in many relationships, people have to socialize with their partner’s family and friends, even when they don’t like them. Especially if you’re more of an introverted person, it can be really tough having to frequently put up with people who are difficult to get along with. That’s one thing you definitely don’t have to worry about when you’re single.
- Being totally independent and self-sufficient Having to be self-sufficient might sound like a bad thing. But when you’ve been single for a while, you learn to love your independence. It’s difficult to go from being self-sufficient to then talking through decisions with a partner and relying on them for certain things.
- Spending your money how you want without any shame Every couple has different rules and expectations when it comes to money. Some join all their accounts and some keep things separate. Some know exactly what’s going on with each other’s finances and others don’t. In some relationships, one person might feel like they can’t spend on what they want to. Their partner might guilt them or actually try and stop them. When you’re single, you have the freedom to spend your money how you like without considering what a partner thinks about it.
- Flirting with whoever you want, whenever you want Dating as a singleton can be horrible. But it can also be a lot of fun. So can flirting! Being able to flirt with whoever you want, whenever you want is something else that many single people take for granted. While some couples are okay with harmless flirting, many aren’t comfortable with it.
- The magic of a first kiss Single life tends to be much more unpredictable than life in a stable relationship. You don’t know who you’ll end up kissing. You don’t know who you’ll end up dating. Any given night can end up being a disaster, magical, or anywhere in between. When you get into a relationship, you no longer have to deal with the potential nightmare first kisses. But you also lose the chance of stumbling upon a magical one.
- Not having to buy gifts Valentine’s Day might be lonelier when you’re single, but it’s also cheaper. That goes for Christmas and birthdays too. Some couples might decide not to purchase gifts for financial reasons, but if you don’t have that agreement in place, special occasions can get super expensive. Single life can be expensive too, but at least you don’t have the pressure of finding and buying the perfect gift every year.
- Sleeping like a baby Cuddling at night is great. But you objectively get a better sleep when you’re by yourself. There’s no one getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom (unless it’s you). No snoring. Nobody kicking you in their sleep, using up all the blanket, or lying on your side of the mattress. Logistically speaking, single sleep is a blissful sleep!
