Every single man dreams of owning his own bachelor pad. A bachelor pad is everything a single man loves. It should have the proper amenities and needs of an average male adult. Sadly, this hasn’t been the case for most millennials. A staggering 32.1% of adult males are found to be living in their parents’ houses. That number is between those aged 18 to 34. This number worsened in 2020 amidst the pandemic.
Due to the impracticality of maintaining a rented home while in a pandemic, many adults were forced to live back with their parents. Compared to the alarming 47% in 2019, the rate rose to 52% at the time of the pandemic. An astounding 26.6 million young adults right now are living with their parents — with around 13 million males stuck around their parents’ basements.
The bachelor pad dream is slowly slipping away in the new age of young adult males. Times are harder compared to before. There are millions of employments opportunities available for men of previous generations. It is simply not the same today anymore. The unemployment rate remains unchanged in May 2021 at 6.1%. As high as 4.1 million people are unemployed for a long period of time.
Right now, the dream of even your own place seems so far away. Not a lot of jobs pay well. Some even take on two jobs to sustain themselves. The reality is, underemployment is prevalent even among those who own bachelor’s degrees. The job market is difficult to navigate right now.
Is the Bachelor Pad Dream still worth it? What are the pros and cons of owning a bachelor pad?
Freedom Over Yourself and the Apartment
Owning a bachelor pad gives you complete freedom over your own life and your apartment. Having your own place gives you independence that can never be unmatched. You are in complete control of how you want your life to turn out. If you want to be a slob, you can do it on your own. If you want to be extremely organized, you can do it yourself. There are many things you won’t be able to do if you are living with someone else. You will be free to invite whoever you want whenever you want to.
You will also be able to go to places away from your apartment without worrying whether your roommate has already burnt and stolen all of your items. If you want to put metal railings on the stairs, you will be able to do so without anyone stopping or judging you. Paint away with whatever color you want without having anyone judge you. You are the master of yourself and your apartment.
Loneliness at Certain Times
Loneliness is one of the consequences of living alone. Many people have thrived alone through the years amidst the loneliness of their own place. However, the rates of depression and suicide are definitely increased for persons living by themselves. There are a lot of mental risks involved in living alone. A man was made to become social. We all crave some form of community even beyond our means.
Even if we are living alone, we all want to become part of something. Man has evolved to this level of intelligence by being a useful member of the community. Depriving a person of the necessary interactions needed for survival can be fatal. Loneliness is tough to battle when living alone in a bachelor pad.
Convenience
The convenience of having a bachelor pad cannot be understated. Because most apartment owners lease out to persons without roommates, looking for a place as a single guy with a stable job can be easy. Looking for a place near your work is easy to do. Accessibility is a key issue that most people consider before buying in a certain place. Having the bachelor pad near the important places for daily living is key to living a comfortable life.
Expense
Maintaining a place alone can become expensive. If you are not practical, you might find yourself under a ton of debt. Living alone means surviving alone. Living in a comfortable bachelor pad should be the biggest show of independence and stability. It is not worth living in such a residence if you cannot maintain yourself. On average, the rate of renting a single-bedroom apartment is hovering around $1000 a month. Paying for utilities, groceries, and other expenses is not even included in this cost. You have to be smart and wise about opting for a bachelor pad. Sometimes, the cost alone may not be worth it at all.
