Whether it’s growing up with parents or having roommates in college, most of your early life will involve living with someone else. However, there will finally come a point in life when you get to decide whether or not you are ready to live on your own or not. Many people dream of living on their own, as this makes for a new sense of freedom like never before. However, living alone also comes with plenty of new responsibility and requirements.

If you are deciding between living alone or with roommates, you aren’t alone. Luckily, here are some benefits of living alone versus with a roommate.

Financial Benefits

The most apparent reason that many people chose to live with roommates is because of the financial benefits. Living on your own can be incredibly expensive. Not only do you have to pay rent on your own, but you’ll also have utilities, cable, internet, and other expenses that you won’t have the opportunity to split with others. For college students and those living on their own for the first time, these financial constraints can take all of the fun out of living alone, which is why many people opt for roommates.

There’s Always Someone There

While some people love being around others at all times, that’s not the case with everyone. If you love being alone and having alone time, then you are going to really enjoy living on your own for the first time. Many people think it’s great to live with a best friend, and it can be. However, if you want alone time and enjoy peace & quiet without others, then you are really going to embrace living alone. Living on your own will be nothing like that crazy fraternity or sorority house you lived during college, which many people embrace because of the enjoyment of being alone.

More Control

When you live with roommates, there are plenty of variables that go into place. Maybe you aren’t someone who enjoys cable, but your roommate insists you get it so they can watch their favorite show once a week. If that’s the case, chances are that you will all split the bill. Is that fair, if you don’t even have a television in your room? Situations like this happen all the time when you have roommates, whether it’s over who took out the trash last or how low the air conditioning levels are set at. But when you live on your own, you have all the control that you want over every little aspect of your apartment.

Having roommates can be great for a lot of reasons. But if you have had enough of living with others and you finally want to get out there on your own, keep in mind that living on your own certainly has plenty of benefits. In fact, if you can afford it, then there are few downsides to living on your own. And once you have all of the freedom that comes with living alone, you’ll be happy you made this decision.