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Living Alone After 40: Practical Things That Make Life Easier
13
items Items That Make Your Life A Lot Easier
Sections
3
Cooking for One Without the Waste
Keeping the Place Clean Without Spending All Day Doing It
When There's Nobody Else to Ask
Cooking for One Without the Waste
Living alone has its advantages, but it also means every meal, household job and little emergency is yours to deal with. These are practical things that make cooking for one, keeping the place tidy and handling everyday jobs on your own that bit easi...
A good size when you’re usually cooking for one but it won't limit you to single portions. There’s enough room to cook extra for another meal or make something for a visitor, without needing a huge air fryer taking up counter space.
Air Fryer - saving you money and time
This is one of my favourites. Cook a full batch without eating the same meal all week. Freeze stock, gravy, tinned or blended tomatoes, green seasoning, sauces in individual portions, then take out just what you need to cook your meal.
Flexible Ice Cube Trays are a must
Now this is where the magic happens. I favour stackable glass containers, remember not to over fill freezer-compatible too.
Rubbermaid Brilliance 4.7-Cup Containers - where the magic happens
Cooking for one gets much easier once you stop guessing portions. A small digital scale helps you measure out rice, pasta, meat and other ingredients before cooking, so you make what you actually need instead of creating accidental leftovers.
Digital Kitchen Scales
Keeping the Place Clean Without Spending All Day Doing It
When you live alone, every cleaning job is yours. These are practical shortcuts that make it easier to keep on top of everyday mess without spending half your weekend cleaning. (Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission from purchases made throug...
When you live alone, every cleaning job is yours. These are the things that make it quicker and easier to keep on top of everyday mess without turning your day off into cleaning day.
Cordless Stick Vacuum — quick everyday floors
Let the brush do the scrubbing while the long handle makes the awkward bits easier to reach.
Long-Handled Electric Spin Scrubber — bathroom cleaning
For the times when the kitchen floor needs five minutes, not an entire floor-cleaning operation.
Refillable Spray Mop with Washable Pads
When it's just one shirt that needs sorting, getting the ironing board out feels like more work than the ironing. A compact steamer is handy for quick touch-ups before work, going out or having someone over.
Clothes Steamers vs Traditional Irons: What's the Difference?
When There's Nobody Else to Ask
Living alone means being the person who deals with the little jobs too. These are useful things to have around for reaching, opening, fixing and handling those everyday problems yourself. (Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission from purchases ...
For the things that somehow always end up on the top shelf. A sturdy folding step makes high cupboards and shelves easier to reach, then tucks away when you're finished.
A Proper Folding Step Stool — “I can't reach it
You don't need to become a DIY expert, but having the basic tools in one place means you don't have to wait for somebody else but if you do they don't need to bring anything.
Household Tool Kit — "Oh dear something needs fixing."
Some jars seem determined to stay closed. A good grip opener gives you extra leverage without the tea-towel-and-brute-force routine.
Easy Jar & Bottle Opener — “I cannot get this thing open.”
Much more useful than trying to hold your phone torch while dealing with a power cut or looking behind an appliance. Keep it charged somewhere you can find it in the dark.
Rechargeable Flashlight/Work Light — “Why has everything gone dark?”
When the power goes out, the last thing you need is an emergency light that's waiting to be charged. Keep this battery-powered lantern somewhere easy to find, along with spare batteries, so you've got hands-free light when the electricity is out.
Battery-Powered Outdoor Lanterns
