Ever since I moved out of the house my ex-husband and I shared, I’ve been readjusting to single living. I hadn’t lived alone in over 5 years and a lot of things changed during that time. Here is my list of 5 MUST HAVE items when living alone – especially if you are a single lady.
1. Mace/Pepper spray
From the moment I began packing to move into my new apartment my mom told me to buy some mace. At least once a week she we call and ask me “Have you bought your mace yet?” Finally about two weeks after I moved (oops!) I went on to Amazon.com and bought some pepper spray – THIS pepper spray in fact. I decided that if I was going to have this stupid pepper spray on my keys for the rest of my life, it was at least going to be pink and girly! Thankfully I have never had to use my pepper spray, but it definitely make me feel more safe. Whether it is walking to my car alone at night, taking my dog out, or leaving Target. I am not one for carrying a gun, or even keeping one in my home, but at least I have SOMETHING to defend myself with if it comes down to it. Do yourself a favor and spend the money and get one, you’ll thank me for it later.
2. Large/loud dog
I have a large dog. I have a VERY loud dog. The maintenance guys in my apartment complex are afraid of her. They won’t even come into my apartment to fix things unless I’m home. And she’s locked in the bathroom. Most of my neighbors have made comments about her… “Oh, is THAT the big dog from the window?” “Wow, she’s big!” Most of the time I don’t even really think of her as a big dog. She’s my baby. But I guess when you see a large black lab sticking it’s head out of a window and barking like a crazy animal, she seems a lot bigger and scarier. Is my dog mean? Is she scary? I guess that is really in the eye of the beholder. It doesn’t really matter if she’s mean or scary. All that matters is the fact that she MIGHT be mean and scary. Anything that will keep a potential burglar/rapist/crazy person from coming into my apartment.
Don’t have a large/loud dog to protect you and your home? That’s okay, pick up one of the life sized dogs from the toy store. At first glance most people will think its real and that is ALL that matters.
3. Good book collection
Forget cable. Forget netflix. Forget hulu. It’s all about the books. Yes I have netflix and hulu, but I spend way more time reading books than watching movies or tv shows. Books help with those times when you are lonely. Those times when you are sitting home thinking about all your married/coupled friends who are out without you. Those times when you wished your mommy could make everything better. You pick up a book and are magically transported to another world. Another place, another time. To a world where you and your problems don’t have a place. It may be a scary world, or a sad world. A safe world, or an insane world. It doesn’t matter really, it’s just a world without worries. A world with lots of friends who are there with you until the end (literally).
I’m pretty broke, so buying books usually isn’t in the budget – but that is what libraries are for. Did you know that at most libraries if you are in good standing you can have up to as many as 25 books out at one time?
4. Tool box
Even if you live in an apartment complex with a maintenance staff, there are still times where you need to do something for yourself. Hang a picture, cut something that requires something other than orange handled scissors, or put together Ikea furniture. So make sure that you have a fully stocked tool box. I am still adding things to mine that I realized, a little too late, I left with my ex. You don’t have the best tools, just enough to get by so that you aren’t constantly calling your dad to do stuff that you could have done on your own.
5. A can opener
Yep, a can opener. It’s amazing how often you need one and don’t even realize. So if you are splitting up a joint kitchen or shopping with your mom for your first kitchen, make sure you pick one up. Because believe me when I tell you that it is gonna suck when you guy a can of soup on a cold day only to get home and realize that you have no way to open it. Just do it. Buy one all ready.
