Those of us who reach the stage where they no longer feel comfortable sharing an apartment with roommates, but a relationship is nowhere in sight, or alternatively move to live alone after separation, quickly discover the meaning of the “bachelorette tax”, which involves managing an independent household for an individual. While fixed costs: rent and car expenses are not always flexible, in many current expenses smart management makes it possible to bypass the “bachelorette tax” and adjust the costs to the needs, possibilities and economic abilities of a single person, without adversely affecting the quality of life.
Suggestions for reducing expenses for living alone
Don’t be tempted by promotions in supermarket chains
2+1 on half shop! The second product at half the price!
The deals seem worthwhile and may be, but think: Do you really need two jars of coffee? How long will it take you to consume three containers of fabric softener? Will you be able to eat the two packages of chickpeas before the expiration date arrives?
Before rushing to purchase the quantity on sale, it is worth asking and finding out if there is a discount for the buyer of one unit. In pharmacy chains, for example, in many cosmetics deals it is possible to exchange 1+1 deals for a 40% discount for a single product, and the same is true in other supermarket chains.
Another useful option is to share the deals with friends – call friends who live nearby and ask if they would like a jar of coffee or a half-price fabric softener. Here’s how to tailor the deal to your needs – you’ll pay even less than the sale price and you’ll get exactly the quantity you need.
Saving packaging is a disaster!
Pay less and get more!
The supermarket chains offer many savings packages for both fresh and dry products, which have in common a limited shelf life, which is worthwhile for couples and families, but less so for singles. On the face of it, it seems more profitable to purchase a larger case at a lower price than two regular cases – but if the expiration date arrives before you’ve finished half the contents, it will be much less worthwhile.
Isn’t it better to buy a product in the required quantity and at a regular price, instead of buying a larger quantity, both paying more and throwing away some of it?
Invest in cooking – but not just for personal consumption
Singles who love cooking sometimes find themselves in a paradox: it sucks and sometimes it is also complicated to cook more complex dishes than pasta and omelets in a quantity suitable for a single person’s consumption. The solutions found range from giving up invested cooked food and consuming frozen prepared food to ordering food out, at a non-symbolic cumulative cost.
If you are on good terms with friends from work, you can make an arrangement that every day someone else will bring cooked food and eat together, which is likely to be accepted positively by colleagues who are not single. You can also try to arrange this arrangement with single friends who live nearby, while the more fluid can invest in group dinners, with leftovers packed for lunch the next day.
Shopping at the supermarket online? Here, too, it is possible to reduce
It is not easy to carry your own shopping from the supermarket, and luckily nowadays there is the possibility of ordering via the Internet. It’s just a shame that the cost usually includes an extra NIS 30 for shipping, and on top of that there is a minimum purchase amount ranging from NIS 180 to NIS 200, which is usually higher than the weekly purchase of the average single.
Possible solution: Do you have a single neighbor or neighbor in the building? Maybe suggest they book together? This way you will have no trouble reaching the minimum amount, and beyond that, the shipping fee will be divided between you, and you may even reach a purchase amount where the supermarket provides free shipping.
Read more, statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics in the article: “The Bachelorette Protest: How Much Does It Cost to Live Alone” at The Marker
