Living Alone for the First Time: 8 Tips to Help You Feel Safe and Secure

Whether you’ve decided roommates aren’t for you, you’re headed to college, or moving to a new city, living on your own for the first time is an exciting and nerve-racking experience. Even if you’ve felt like an adult for a long time, nothing will test your capabilities like living on your own. You’re the person who will have to kill any bugs, buy garbage bags, and keep yourself safe. SABRE wants to help you live confidently in your newfound life of independence. Below are eight tips that will help you feel and stay safe and successful while living on your own.

Photo: Avi Naim | Unspalsh

1. Explore the neighborhood

Before you sign a lease, visit the neighborhood and new home where you’ll live. You want to feel safe and comfortable in the area before you live there for a year or longer.

2. Make a budget and stick to it

The little things—garbage bags, shampoo, detergent, condiments—can really add up when you’re living alone. Budgeting doesn’t sound like fun, but you’ll be grateful when the bills come in. Look for other ways to save money as well, like buying secondhand furniture and meal prepping. You also never know when you’ll have unexpected expenses. Save where you can and remember that no amount is too small.

3. Keep a list of emergency numbers handy

Add the numbers to your phone or keep them on your fridge for easy accessibility. You should also know where nearby fire stations, police stations, and hospitals are located in case of emergency.

4. Keep safety top of mind with a Door Security Bar

Door Security Bar with Vibration Detecting Alarm

If you’re living on your own for the first time, you might be nervous about your safety. Ask your landlord to change the lock to ensure no stranger has a key to your new place, and always keep your windows and doors locked. Take your safety a step further with a Door Security Bar. The Door Security Bar is made of durable 20-gauge steel and has a rubberized foot for a strong grip to help prevent doors from opening and keep intruders out. Use this on your main external doors for added peace of mind that your doors will stay closed and secure.

You can also consider adding do-it-yourself Door and Window Alarms and a Door Stop Alarm to your home. These are easy-to-install and sound attention-grabbing alarms to help deter intruders. For the ultimate DIY home security system, consider placing Door and Window Alarms on your windows and external doors, using a Door Security Bar with your main door, and a Door Stop Alarm in your bedroom.

The Door Security Bar and Door Stop Alarm are also portable so you can take them with you when you travel or, if you’re renting, from home to home.

Door Stop Alarm

For added safety and security, consider getting a home defense pepper gel product to help protect yourself in case you are confronted by an intruder in your new home. Home Defense Pepper Gel can be mounted on the wall for easy access, and the Aim + Fire is designed like a pistol with a hand grip for increased aim. Pepper gel products are safer for indoor use since gel does not atomize in air.

5. Get basic emergency items

Have items like a tool kit, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, and a flashlight on-hand in case of emergencies. SABRE’s PepperLight™ combines a powerful flashlight and maximum-strength pepper spray into one convenient package for safety and protection, even in the dark.

6. Give a friend a spare key

Living on your own for the first time, you will probably lock yourself out at least once. Give someone you know (who also lives close by) a spare key, and you can avoid paying a hefty locksmith fee.

7. Meet your neighbors

Photo: KoolShooters | Pexels

When you move to a new place, meeting your neighbors can be a great way to make friends. Before you let your guard down completely, remember that they are strangers. Make them earn your trust before you share too much. Once the trust is established, you can also look out for one another and let each other know if something looks suspicious.

8. Enjoy yourself!

Moving out on your own is an important step to shaping the person that you’re meant to be. Although it comes with a lot of responsibility and teachable moments, it also comes with a newfound freedom. Decorate your space in a way that lets your personality shine, use the new alone time to focus on your personal and professional goals, and most importantly, have some fun (while staying safe, of course)!