One Can Live as Easily as Two: 8 Smart Hacks for Living Solo

This article originally appeared on the Springs "You're Home Blog."

Living on your own means never having to say you're sorry. Or ask permission. Or clean up someone else's mess. Or worry about getting along with anyone but yourself.

Of course, as with everything else in life, there are trade-offs to living on your own. Here are some of the most clever hacks we've discovered for those times when another person really would come in handy.

P.S. You can still use these hacks if you share your Springs luxury apartment with someone else. We won't tell!

Food and Beverage

• Keep a couple of empty Mason jars on hand for storing leftover wine. Fill to the top to keep the wine from going flat.
• When you're opening a stubborn jar, rubber bands make great grips. Place one around the lid and one around the body of the jar.
• If you love pancakes, it's difficult to make a batch just for one person. Go ahead and mix up a full-size batch, then place the remainder in an empty ketchup bottle where it will keep nicely in the fridge for a few days. Plus the bottle makes it easy to dispense the batter.
• The money you save buying food in bulk turns into a loss when most of it spoils before you eat it. Buy in appropriate quantities or plan to split the purchases with a friend.

Decorating and Chores

• Hanging framed pictures on your own is a breeze with the help of a tube of toothpaste. Place a dab on the back where the nails will go, and press the picture against your desired spot on the wall. Presto! The toothpaste creates a perfect guide for the nails.
• Another helpful tip for hammering nails: avoid black-and-blue fingers by using the teeth of a comb to hold the nail in place.

Clothes and Grooming

• Who needs a second pair of hands to zip up a dress? Attach a length of string or ribbon to the loop on the end of a safety pin, then insert the pin into the hole on the zipper.
• Use a small foam paint roller to apply sunscreen, self-tanner or aloe lotion on your back.

At our Springs communities, you may live alone but you never have to be lonely. Share your apartment with a pet and meet your neighbors at our fitness center, sitting poolside, or attending resident events hosted by our on-site management teams.