The often-dreaded time of candy hearts, red roses, and quintessential date nights has passed.
Some may be relieved, others may already be counting down the days until next year’s Valentine’s Day, but in either regard, single women should take note of the perks of not having a Valentine.
If you’re single and you’ve forgotten those perks, you can enjoy a lot of refreshers in life.
Here are ten reasons why being single is better.
1. You’re on Your Own Agenda
The most obvious and perhaps most wonderful reason why being single is the best is because you have no one else to answer to.
Often in relationships, you plan your days around each other. You may have to compromise a thing or two in your weekly schedule in order to make time for your partner.
And sometimes that can really suck.
A “totally awesome” Metal concert for him may not be your ideal Saturday night, but you go with him anyway, because you’re a couple and he’s do the same for you.
Of course, being in a relationship can do a lot more than disrupt your weekly plans.
Applying to schools or jobs out of state suddenly requires you to consider your partner and if they’re willing to move with you, if they’ll have professional opportunities in a new place.
But as an individual in a committed relationship, you may even end up moving somewhere to meet the professional or scholarly needs of your partner, instead.
When you’re single, there’s no need to compromise for anyone else. And as far as your Saturday nights go?
Well, they’re most likely free of sweaty, hairy rock bands and you can thank being single for that.
2. Girl’s Night Out is Way More Legit
When you’re in a relationship, you can still get rowdy with your gal-pals, but it’s never really as fun as your remember it being when you were all single.
A world of possibilities opens itself up to you and your girl gang on Girl’s Night Out.
Will you meet cute boys? Will those vodka-tonics give you enough courage to dance on stage?
When everyone is single, including you, everyone has more fun.
There’s less chance of your girlfriends finding you huddled over your cell phone, texting nonsensical, drunk “I miss you” messages to your boyfriend at home.
So celebrate your freedom by calling up your craziest girlfriends and set a date to paint the town red.
3. Your Home is Less Cluttered with Boy-Stuff
Another reason why being single is awesome is because you don’t have to share your living quarters with a boy and all the accessories he comes with.
Your married or taken friends may sigh in ecstasy when they come to your apartment and find no boots strewn across the floor or clutter from whatever hobby he may have (fishing gear, tobacco canisters, weights).
And, yes, it’s true, a single woman’s house has that special feminine touch others just can’t recreate.
There are no neon signs or fantasy football charts posted on the fridge, just warmly scented candles, freshly fluffed accent pillows, and maybe a floral throw rug or two.
4. You Never Have to Share Food with Anyone (If You Don’t Want to)
This may be the best reason, let’s be honest.
Especially when it comes to sweets, like chocolate cake.
Of course, you’re free and open to sharing with your friends, but there’s no extra mouth to feed in your kitchen, so eat that extra piece of cake that’s calling your name, why don’t you?
When you’re single, you’re the master chef in your kitchen, no one else.
If you want extra cilantro on your taco, there’s no need to worry about anyone else’s likes, dislikes, or allergies, so garnish it up.
That annoying couple mentality of “What’s yours is mine, right?” holds no necessity in your household.
You never have to worry about a French fry or two being swiped off your plate at dinner, or the last of the beer being polished off without your consent (but, hopefully, your partner was never this inconsiderate, anyway, right?).
5. No Games
When you’re single you control your dating potential.
Maybe you want to be single solely because you’re not interested in anything serious at the time. Luckily for you, being single offers you so many opportunities to meet and go on dates with whomever you choose to.
Even better, it also offers you the choice of not meeting anyone if you so prefer.
Possibly the biggest perk of all is that there are no games if you don’t want there to be.
If you’re choosing to be single and not date casually, as a result, you have more time for yourself and less time having bouts of anxiety over someone else’s approval of you.
You don’t have to lose sleep wondering if he likes you back or if that text you sent turned him off or if he’ll notice how beautiful you look in your new dress on that party next weekend.
Less worry for you means more time to relax in warm bubble baths, enjoy margaritas at happy hour with your gal pals, and take up that hobby you’ve always been interested in.
6. There Are More Possibilities
When you’re not tied down by anyone else, your life is brimming with potential. Did that cute barista at your local coffee shop just wink at you? Is that co-worker hinting at asking you out?
Those silly and wonderful butterflies in your stomach are easily aflutter. The magic that is new love could be around any corner just waiting to pounce and turn your world upside down.
After all, they say that loves finds you when you’re not looking for it.
If it’s time in your singledom to go play hide-and-seek with that elusive figure called Love, then off you go and enjoy the ride along the way.
7. No One Else Has Control of Your Netflix Account
As a single woman, there’s no need to spend an hour scrolling through the entire library of movies and television shows trying to find something you and your partner will enjoy just to settle on the very first movie you saw, anyway.
Remember all those super girly rom-coms you’ve been secretly pining to binge watch?
Well, have no fear and save the date!
Clear your calendar because you have no need to consider anyone else’s opinion. You can watch all the romantic comedies and guilty pleasure TV shows (We’re looking at you, House Hunters!) you want.
8. You’re More Likely a “Yes” Person
It hurts to admit, but sometimes when you’re in a committed relationship, you’re less likely to take up an extra or any new hobbies because your spare time is most likely spent with the one you love.
Sure, the both of you can try these hobbies or activities together. But as can often happen one or the other in the relationship may not particularly enjoy watercolor painting lessons or camping in forty-degree weather with nothing but a hole in the ground as a restroom.
And while in a healthy relationship, your partner should be more than happy to explore new activities they may not be thrilled about simply to see you enjoy them, that may not always be the case.
When you’re single, your world is just that much more open and you’re free to say yes to horseback riding lessons or start your own dog-walking business.
Those little gaps and holes in your monthly planner are filled with activities designed for yourself not for you and another person.
9. Your Money is Your Money
Isn’t that just the simplest, most wonderful sentence you’ve ever read? And it’s so true.
No having to worry about buying groceries for two or ask permission before making a hefty, expensive purchase.
If you want to blow a paycheck away on a nice steak dinner or a day of retail therapy, there’s no need to make it an ordeal or discussion.
As is the number one rule of single-hood, you do you.
10. Making Big-Life Decisions are Simplified
Just as would be the situation with your hard-earned cash, as the sole-decision maker of your single household, you don’t need to run big-life decisions for discussion or approval by anyone else but Y-O-U.
If you feel the time is right and you’re ready for more responsibility in your life, you can go down to the shelter and adopt a dog or cat without having to consider the expense or how it will affect anyone else’s life.
If you want to go on a tight budget to save money for a spring break trip with your girlfriends to the Bahamas, then you can dust off the old piggy bank and manage to scrape by without stepping on the financial toes of anyone else.
Sometimes when in relationships even seemingly small changes can feel like big ones which lead to lengthy, delirium-inducing discussions over whether to paint an accent wall Ocean Morning Blue or Velvet Curtain Crimson. But not when you’re single.
Paint the wall both colors if you want to! You’re your own boss.
Conclusion
So the next time you may be having an off day – your pet had an accident on your favorite pair of shoes, you were late to work, you didn’t get that job, or a potential relationship doesn’t end up working out – pick yourself up, pour the wine, enjoy a relaxing night to yourself and you’ll easily remember a few of these reasons and understand why being single really is better.
