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 the 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.
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
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 Door and Window Alarms. These are easy to install and sound an attention-grabbing alarm heard up to 750 ft away to help deter intruders.
In addition to having ear-piercing alarms, the SABRE Door Stop Alarm and the Door Security Bar with Vibration Detecting Alarm have added benefits to help keep intruders out. Ideal for internal doors, the wedge shape of the Door Stop Alarm can block inward opening doors to help prevent intrusions. 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. Use this on your main external doors for added peace of mind that your doors will stay closed and secure. These options are also portable so you can take them with you when you travel or, if you’re renting, from home to home.
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.
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
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 shape the person that you’re meant to be in this life. 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)!
To learn more about making a safety plan and keeping yourself safe, check out the SABRE Personal Safety Academy.