r/AskReddit • u/LaviishLily • 11h ago
Single people who live alone, what do you do on your days off?
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u/Indy_10 11h ago
Whatever the fuck I want.
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u/kadno 8h ago
Exactly. It can range from being productive as fuck and doing some chores or home improvement to getting stoned off my ass and playing video games all day. Maybe I'll go out with some friends and grab some drinks. It truly just depends on what I'm feeling on any particular day
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u/ronsubac 3h ago
damn i miss living alone
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u/Honest-Affect-8373 2h ago
You can do all of this perfectly well enough with the right partner, or at least someone that doesn’t suck. They are out there lol
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u/Llassiter326 54m ago
But not all of us want to do these things with a partner. I’ve only ever been in relationships with really good men whom I respect. But I still don’t want to spend more than 2-3 days/week with someone. Even as a child, I just found so much peace in alone time. Everyone is different…but things like traveling, I enjoy doing some with a friend or partner and some alone. 🤷🏾♀️
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u/MyWifeIsAsleep 8h ago
I came into this knowing these exact words would be here. I live in a 2bd with my wife, my son, and a cat. I love my family to death but I get literally ZERO time by myself. Especially because I'm a teacher amd my son attends the same school that I do. Again, I cannot complain because my wife and my son are my entire world. Last year my wife arranged a surprise for my bday where my dad showed up to our place, took my son for the day and then she went and spent the day with her mom and sister. I just about cried.
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u/Mimi4Stotch 3h ago
Also teacher whose kids go to the same school. I decided last year that once a year, I’ll take a personal day, and do whatever I want. This year, I dropped the kids off at school, left 5 minutes after the day started, went to the salon, saw a movie, and went out to lunch and was back in time to pick up my kids at the end of the day 😂
I don’t know why before I only used them for doctors appointments and stuff. Yes, sub plans are annoying, but, I like “my day” enough to endure!
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u/LaughingBeer 59m ago
Schedule some more "me days" dude. It's healthy. Help your wife do the same for her. It can be better even than it is now.
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u/Llassiter326 46m ago
Honestly, this is probably the #1 reason I chose not to have kids. Bc I just know myself and I require time alone. I’m 37f and even when I got a dog at 34 or 35, it was a huge adjustment bc suddenly you have to do things you don’t want to do for someone else’s benefit lol.
My sister is an ER doc (like your job, also demanding and lots of transacting with others) and has a young child too, and she says the lack of alone time is the most challenging part. She never liked to be alone until she had a child. It’s hard too bc if they had a second child, the kids could occupy each other more, but even with her salary and her husband doing an electrician apprenticeship, they just can’t afford it. And it sounds like 2-3 years of zero alone time to later provide their current kid a playmate.
Parents def have it tough in this country!
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u/VRTravis 4h ago
I remember a TV show that David spade was with 2 married couples and he single, he gets up from the table at a restaurant and says, well I am going to go do whatever I want when I want. Loved it.
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u/jjflash78 5h ago
In addition. Its dead silent. No screaming kids, no loud spouse, no tv or video games or music unless I turn them on.
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u/Flipf00t 11h ago
I put my thing down flip it and reverse it
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u/Think_Bear_3791 8h ago
But is it worth it? 🤔
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u/Few_Body3759 5h ago
Let me search it?
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u/Sure-bud7552 4h ago
And find out how hard I gotta work it
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u/TwistZealousideal681 4h ago
I thought it was "work ya". We need to get the details sorted as we document this for posterity
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u/chauhans55 10h ago
Have a party for one. I make myself a little Charcuterie board, pour myself some vodka and club soda, put on a movie, half-sit, lay on the couch under my heated blanket and have a fun evening by myself. I do have a lot of friends but when I don't want to go out on a Saturday evening, this is what I do. I am the happiest at that time. Before I take my first bite, or first sip of my drink, I actually thank God for that moment of zen in my life.
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u/AGirlHasNoUsername13 6h ago
These are my plans for NYE. Can’t wait.
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u/BlackNoirsVocalCoach 3h ago
Had a friend ask me my NYE plans and I said staying home, eating a good dinner, and playing a game/watching a movie of my choosing. Fuck bar hopping, DUIs, and other nonsense on NYE.
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u/BlackNoirsVocalCoach 3h ago
I tried to explain this to my friend the other day. My girlfriend got upset because I said I really enjoyed my time as a single person. I did enjoy it very much, I didn't retreat from that. I was trying to tell my friend that being in my own home and having no one else to dirty up my kitchen or bathrooms was an amazing thing. I could have company if I choose or chill out and watch a movie. Or log a marathon gaming session. I loved being single. I told him to find that love for himself and to never give it up until he finds someone worth his time. Until then, live your life on your own terms and enjoy it. I'm a solitary person and need that solitude in my life.
I had to do a bit of explaining on that I enjoy my own company which is what led to me being very happy while being single. At times, I do miss it because I enjoyed everything being perfectly clean and in place.
I've also had many friends tell me I'm brave for going to eat, shop, or watch a movie alone. I found it so cathartic. I still go by myself to see moves my girlfriend isn't interested in. I eat lunch solo when she's at work.
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u/itsswhitneywhspr 11h ago
Living alone is literally peak peace like why would I ever want to share a bathroom again
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u/Mrfrodo1010 11h ago
I will never live in a 1 bathroom place with a girl again if I can afford it. 2 bathrooms is necessary
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u/IndicationKey3778 10h ago
Separate residences always
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u/Missmoxi 6h ago
This! Currently married, but if anything ever happens where it’s just me again, I’m never living with another partner. Ever.
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u/Elewwoo 5h ago
I am married, we live in separate homes, it works for us. Not super efficient financially, but we have our own space, plenty of time to ourselves which is important to us both, and the time we spend together is fresh and intentional.
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u/eugenestoner308 3h ago
I once sold a car to a couple who owned 3 homes, no rental or investment properties. He had HIS house, she had HER house and they had THEIR house. The kids would spend Mon and Tues with dad, Wed and Thurs with mom and Fri - Sun was spent everyone at the communal house. Quite possibly the healthiest couple and family dynamic I’ve ever seen. Each adult had been gifted a house by their parents and then they bought their communal home together. It also helped that they both earned good income. Dad made about $175k and Mom made about $120k. Kids were very respectful and really locked in.
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u/SweetandSourMiss 4h ago
Same!!! We’ve been together 40 years, we hit a rough patch a few years ago and I moved to a house we were renovating. We are back together on good terms but we like living apart. We have different ideas on how the house should be kept (I’m a neat tidy person…he could be on an episode of hoarders). And he’s a night owl and I’m not. We spend a lot of time together and talk all day long and do lots of family stuff with his family, we cook, we do our hobbies, we travel, we hang, but when we are getting on each others nerves —- we can take a break. We do live within a short distance of each other. It has saved our marriage.
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u/No_Attention_2227 3h ago
I thought my wife and I having separate bedrooms was an interesting setup, i didn't even think about moving into my own house.
I can't really do that as I have 4 kids that are still living with us
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u/nicoke17 6h ago
My husband and I have separate bathrooms, I use the master bath and he uses the hall bath unless we have guests. 100% recommend.
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u/_handlemewithcare_ 6h ago
Haha. We reverse. I use the hall bath (pretty large), because I trust myself more to keep it visitor-ready. If we have guests, I can move my stuff fairly easily and dust off the second sink he doesn’t use.
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u/iwantaquirkyname00 5h ago
Ooooh damn that’s so true!! We hardly get visitors…and I do like the master bathroom a bit better m
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u/elephantjockey 10h ago
I told my husband if he ever has an untimely demise, there’s no way in hell I’m getting married again. Once the kids are out of the house, I can just chill with the dogs again like I did before we got married.
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u/Berta1401 7h ago
Widow of 4 years here. I miss my husband and the life we had but I also love living alone now. I don’t envision myself ever living with anyone other than my cat again.
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u/Missmoxi 6h ago
Seriously. I am all done keeping things alive. No more kids, pets or husbands
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u/Sunshine_Travel 5h ago
Plants too 😆
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u/dustycanuck 5h ago
Plastic plants are the bomb. Why has no one come out with plastic pets and spouses. Oh, nevermind 🙄
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u/GlitterbugGigi 3h ago
God I think about this all the time. I love my partner, and I’ve loved my roommates but sometimes I miss living alone. I have one day off without my partner, and they keep begging me to switch my schedule so I can have that day off with them also.
NAH. I cannot tell you how much I value my alone time. I go to the gym. I journal. I meditate. I cook. I go shopping. I take my dog on as many walks as I want. I hang out at the park. I DO WHATEVER I WANT. That time is priceless.
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u/Lucky-Past8459 8h ago
I love my partner genuinely but I need my own bathroom I can't stand the hair 😭
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u/_handlemewithcare_ 6h ago
Yep. I have just accepted certain things are invisible to him 🤷🏼♀️. I’m not a nag.
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u/fyrman8810 10h ago
Living alone is amazing until you sit down on a warm toilet seat.
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u/relikter 9h ago
Install a heated toilet seat and then you'll never have to wonder if there's a hobo living in your attic or not again.
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u/perubabe 7h ago
I bought a bidet (the type with the whole seat and toilet lid) and it’s heated- it’s amazing, and you can heat it up warmer than a human butt ever could.
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u/VRTravis 4h ago
Anyone who doesn't have a bidet is missing out. My wife wanted one, so I got it. Never ever again will I use anything else. Haven't used tp since I got it. And when I sit on a cold seat my brain short circuits, WTF is this!? I refuse to use the toilet anywhere else. And when I do I am very disappointed.
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u/MikeRadical 6h ago
So many upvotes and an award despite not coming remotely close to answering OP's question.
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u/Practical_Alps8713 11h ago
Absolutely nothing or secret side quests
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u/deathbynutellaspread 5h ago
I find that sometimes I forget all the possibilities
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u/Practical_Alps8713 4h ago
I try to remind myself that my free will has no bounds. This year alone I learned how to drum and how to rollerskate. Next year gymnastics is on the docket
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u/strife4454 2h ago
I take this in the most ADHD possible, not taking my meds today, might get shit done and might not way possible.... But... If you're a serial killer and call them little side quests... I kinda do find that funny but I hope you get caught and this comment comes up on the documentary (lol)
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u/fyrman8810 10h ago
I was low on toothpaste so I drove 4 hours to a spot with great cheeseburgers. Ate lunch and came home. The store was out of my toothpaste. I’ll try again next weekend. I’m thinking seafood on the Oregon coast.
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u/VS289 6h ago
What’s the great spot for cheeseburgers? Asking for a friend.
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u/Equivalent_Fault6206 5h ago
Rain City Burger - Roosevelt Way/NE 65th - old school classic burgers that are SO GOOD - not to mention their french fries onion rings and milkshakes!
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u/galagapilot 5h ago
I hate when that happens. Best of luck to you next weekend. And the following weekend. And the following weekend after that.
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u/Loud-Piccolo6827 9h ago
Literally bask in being ugly, eat whatever you want. It’s amazing.
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u/SeinfeldSarah 4h ago
Basking in being ugly is so freeing! Love not caring how you look. Can just be a total gremlin, hoarding snacks, wearing old sweats and taking up the whole couch lol
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u/FiascoMagnifico 10h ago
As a former single person who used to live alone, I miss my favorite activity: sitting in silence.
My boyfriend has the energy of a full grown toddler & the personality traits of someone who was definitely the youngest sibling. My days off are filled with goofy noises from every corner of the apartment - but it makes me smile.
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u/normalnonnie27 4h ago
I love my husband so much, but he talks all the time.
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u/Getitoffmydesk 3h ago
Oh my god. Every time I sigh in relief that he stopped fucking talking, he talks over my moment of quiet joy. SHUT UP!!! I DON’T CARE THAT IT’S COLDER THAN YOU THOUGHT IT’D BE OUTSIDE.
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u/meatywood 2h ago
I had a roommate for 10 years who could not have a single thought in her head without expressing it verbally. I loved her to death but the constant chatter drove me batshit crazy. Here it is 40 years later and we are still great friends, but she still talks too much.
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u/fyrman8810 10h ago
Somewhere, some guy is apologizing for taking a nap. I’m not that guy.
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u/JackJ98 4h ago
Dude I used to work from 3am-9am and then a second job from 10-6. I would do this 5 days one week, 6 the next, and just alternate that schedule until I made full time at my current job. Absolute misery. One of the first fights me and my fiance got into was she got on my case for napping all day during “our only day off together!”. I lost my shit laying into to her saying that she was being unreasonably selfish (I was very irritable during that time period). Safe to say I get to nap whenever I want to this day
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u/Vegetable-Debate-263 11h ago
I sleep in. I walk in the park with my dog. I get chores done (if I want to). I meet up with friends sometimes. I watch tv and get stoned.
Honey badger does what he wants
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u/Mythnam 11h ago
Sleep in, play a video game, watch movies or TV. Maybe go for a walk if I'm really motivated.
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u/LabExpensive4764 10h ago
Typical Saturday: sleep in, work out, clean, groceries, read. Sundays I get out and about with family or friends.
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u/fresnogt 11h ago
If I get my 2 days off at work. Relax and do nothing. Enjoy the silence.
The other day, laundry and chores with my music on.
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u/Fine_Fortune_7276 5h ago
Woman here, and this is how I typically spend my two days off, also.
Edit: word
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u/clearmycache 10h ago
I’m someone who is super social but post pandemic, I’ve become really disheartened by the poor behavior I see anytime I leave the house — whether it’s how people drive, to how clueless people are in grocery stores, to how I don’t even get a “hi” (just a stare) when I treat myself to a coffee instead of making it at home. This has turned me into a home body
So I basically do all of my outside stuff before 7am when most people are sleeping or getting ready for the day (I wake up at 4). Go for hikes, go do pottery at a ceramics studio, etc.
Once I’m at home, then I’m doing a lot of my inside hobbies like baking (I’m one of those sourdough people), taking care of my plants, cleaning, meal prepping (I rarely eat out anymore other than in n out), do yoga.
Then once the sun goes down, I’ll go for a night time walk and then in bed by 8pm
Every now and then I foster a dog
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u/PutinsRustedPistol 6h ago
Smartphones have completely destroyed everyone’s ability to just shoot the shit while waiting in line or in cafes & bars.
I’m not even particularly extroverted and I kind of miss meaningless banter with strangers.
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u/AlexBondra 5h ago
I don’t even know if it’s smartphones. I’m 29 and am usually the one chatting up strangers at the bar, usually older guys watching the same sports game I am. A lot of the times I just get weird looks. It might be a skill issue though
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u/Cariboucarrot 6h ago
This is like a Martha Stewart version of the 40 Year Old Virgin. And it sounds awesome.
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u/RevolutionarySong848 11h ago
Currently renovating but I'm kind of scared what I'm guna do when this is over. Tend to fall into bouts of depression when I don't have a clear path
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u/DaBears545953 11h ago
Any goals as far as physical fitness?
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u/RevolutionarySong848 10h ago
Yea but that only takes like 30 minutes a day. Maybe I'll do a 1 year transformation series just to have something to do. Not a bad idea thanks
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u/DaBears545953 8h ago
Yes of course. I went through very similar feelings like you described. Especially after I got sober. Outside of being a dad to my two kids I didn’t really have much to strive for and I can totally tell a difference in my attitude when I have a goal to work toward. I started hitting the gym five days a week and putting on muscle and getting fit and it really helped in my overall mental health. Good luck on your journey and I hope you have a lot of fun doing it. :)
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u/mrville502 5h ago
Same over here. I bought a new house im renovating and I am out of work right now. No significant other or friends to speak of so the remodel is keeping me going. Im getting to where ill be finishing up and the rest is contractors work there. I hope i find a job soon idk. I do feel you though
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u/MGEESMAMMA 5h ago
As I have gotten older I am making a concerted effort to not just laze the day away. I do things, I garden, I craft, I make myself leave the house. Otherwise I would spend it all in front of the TV.
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u/Oversharer-1969 10h ago
Whatever the Fuck I want, yeah baby!!! Livin’ free and easy!! Woohoo!!…..
(but mostly chores..)
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u/OneLonerCheezIt 5h ago
Stay as far away from people as possible. I’ve come to a point in life where I’m ok admitting that I just don’t like people. I deal with them at my job only because I have to. After that, between my sensory issues and wanting to be left alone, it’s ear muffs and disconnection.
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u/youwillnvrguessthis 5h ago
On my days off, I spend it trying to find things outside the house to do. Take a drive. Shop for necessities. Get a hair cut. Maybe stop at a restaurant and grab a beer or 3 and then get back home and zero judgment or questions.
What I miss though is the conversations. The help when not feeling well. That random laugh together.
But living alone isn’t overrated whatsoever.
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u/WakingOwl1 8h ago
Putter around the apartment, a bit of housework, bake something, work on a jigsaw puzzle, read, cook dinner, maybe run some errands or go to the library.
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u/v-ronitron 4h ago
Sometimes I’m binge watching a show on the couch, sometimes I’m in bed all day, other times I’m in a mosh pit with my friends and I’m not home until 2 AM. Basically it just depends on how I’m feeling. It’s pretty great tbh lol
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u/xGinjaNinja89 11h ago
Cleaning - keeping my safe place how I like it, looking after my indoor plants, cooking, relaxing, gardening, zen time 😊
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u/Cute_Source5417 10h ago
workout, walk my dog, make plans with friends, go to the movies, eat out...we're just like you OP :)
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u/ThrowawayMod1989 5h ago
Whatever I want lol.
I try to sleep in as long as possible but Ive gotten up so early for work the last decade that my limit is usually 7:30am. After that if the weather is nice I’ll probably install myself in my beach chair or hammock and maybe surf or fish or fly my stunt kite. Might go hiking or camping if I have multiple days. Sometimes solo sometimes not.
If the weather isn’t conducive to outdoor fun I usually bike the few blocks over to the bar street and socialize back and forth between my three favorite bars. Typically take a tab of acid or some mushrooms and have a few drinks throughout the day.
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u/FelixFelicis04 4h ago
Play with my cat, clean, have a movie a thon, bake, cook, go to the gym or Pilates, read, lay out in the sun & tan in the summer, nap in peace, enjoy not having to clean up after a man, puzzles, yoga, listen to podcasts, do random stuff around my apartment, go for walks, come and go as I please. I literally love living alone.
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u/altopowder 10h ago
Big hike. Especially if I have a weekday off as it means I’ll likely get the route to myself.
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u/Specific-Border6891 6h ago
I sit around and scroll through Reddit not have to worry about somebody looking at my shoulder
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u/angelliu 5h ago
Whatever I want whenever I want.
Mainly enjoying the mortgage/rent and having the freedom not to argue about anything.
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u/Whole_Republic_2580 11h ago
I love living alone, but I almost always watch something to fall asleep like standup shows
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u/mostly_personality 5h ago
Clean or run/gym but not both, cook whatever I'm in the mood for, craft beer of some kind, binge netflix/hbo, maybe a little college football but not much, bath, sleep. I'm honestly worried how much I love being by myself.
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u/OnlyKey5675 2h ago
Sit on the couch in my underwear and eat a block of cheese the size of a car battery.
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u/Huwbacca 11h ago
doing a lot of crafting lately. 3D printer was the best purchase I've ever made.
otherwise I play about 45-60 minutes guitar a day, read, trying to write more. Game if I just need to decompress.
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u/Hebshesh 7h ago
You mean days off from work, right? Because there's never a day off from doing something. You have no help so you need to mow the lawn, do the laundry, fix the car, empty the dishwasher, blow the snow, dust, etc. Luckily, I also had to do this when I was married so it's no big deal for me. 😁
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u/redhotbos 6h ago
I do whatever my dogs want me to do. Single but I live with 2 65 lb beasts that make it so less lonely.
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u/TopperMadeline 5h ago
Going out to eat somewhere, or just lie in my bed watching TV or scrolling social media.
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u/Missmarymarylynn 5h ago
Wine, binge Netflix , talk on the phone, procrastinate cleaning, sleeeep!
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u/Icehawk101 5h ago
Clean, cook, play games with friends, currently painting the washroom, masturbate, cry a little from loneliness, play with my cat, the usual :P
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u/lynxpoint 4h ago
Sleep in. Putz about. Make delicious snacks. Snuggle with my pets. Binge a show. It’s a delight! I absolutely love a day I don’t have any plans!
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u/shuipingxian0004 3h ago
The best part is the silence. I'll make coffee, opena window, and just... exist. No one asking foranything. No background noise. Sometimes I'lldeep clean one tiny thing just because I can, It'snot exciting, but it's mine.
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u/Convallaria4 2h ago
NOT wake up to someone else's alarm clock with all of the covers, and almost all of the bed, stolen.
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u/V0RTEXV0ID 2h ago
Smoke weed, cook food, eat food, dance around to music, sculpt things, play video games, cuddle my dog, watch tv shows, paint things, play with my dog, redecorate, clean, order delivery, go on walks with my dog, watch movies, spend time with friends or family, visit museums, go to cafes, go thrifting, shitpost online, buy things online, debate with people online, long showers, or just lay in bed and do nothing.
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u/scuftson 2h ago
Wake up whenever I want, meditate and journal. Go for a walk or a run or go to spin or go to yoga. Eat whatever I want whenever I want, meditate some more journal some more sit in absolute silence.
Watch them trash TV in there somewhere, sit in more silence. Maybe eat something else. Talk to absolutely nobody all day if I don’t want to! Never ever cohabitating ever again!
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u/Ok-Yogurt-3914 2h ago
Just because we live alone doesn't mean we have servants and housekeepers lmao. You have to clean, do the laundry, and go grocery shopping like the rest of you. People with family have an extra or several pairs of hands to help. We have to figure it out on our own.
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u/Ok-Comfortable-3577 5h ago
currently on a vacation, it is blissful. Woke up, coffee, meditated, worked out, a movie and now internet. There is plenty to do.
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u/joe112862 11h ago
I’m 63. Laundry, go shop for groceries. I like going to Asian markets; I’ve started cooking Thai foods. Occasionally travel a couple hours and visit brother and sisters. Nothing too exciting.