LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 13: DON'T BE DAVE: A new survey by Asda has revealed over half of British women have never received flowers on Valentine's Day and Dave is the most likely to forget his loved one this year. Asda and flower designer Joseph Massie have created a living floral billboard allowing Londoners, like Dave to take a single red rose for their Valentine #dontbedave at Victoria Station on February 13, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for ASDA)
Couples get a whole day to celebrate being in love and now that Valentine’s Day is behind us, it’s time for those not in romantic relationships to celebrate being unattached. If you’re rolling your eyes while you pine for a partner, take a minute to embrace your single status. Need some help seeing the upside? Relationship experts remind us why being single is good for us. Benefits of being single include:
- You get more “me time” – It’s an obvious perk, but don’t underestimate the value in being able to wake up whenever you want, have anything you want for dinner and do whatever you choose on the weekends. Dating coach Connell Barrett says when you’re single, you’re free to be a bit selfish – in a good way.
- You can focus on non-romantic relationships – When you’re single, you have more time for friends and family you might not have spent as much time with while you were romantically involved. Making these loved ones a priority will nurture your relationships with them and you’ll all benefit from that.
- You can save money – Another practical advantage of being single? You get to decide where all of your money is spent. Being part of a couple can come with expenses you don’t have in singlehood, like taking trips together and date nights. Barrett points out that single life is less expensive, so you can use more of your income for savings, investments, hobbies or anything you want to splurge on. And research from Debt.org shows just 21% of singles have credit card debt, which is lower than the 27% of married people who do and 36% of those who are married with children.
- You learn what you really want – Being single gives you the opportunity to build a life you love and then figure out what you’re looking for in a partner who can add to that. Hinge’s director of relationship science, Logan Ury, says she encourages people to “commit to themselves” before committing to anyone else. “Being single gives you the time to focus on who you are, what you want and how you’d like to show up in your next relationship,” she explains. “Knowing who you are and what you want empowers you to be more successful in dating and finding your next relationship.”