Science has spoken: Being single can be just as fulfilling as being in a relationship. (Because duh.)

I don’t have a problem with being single—I have a problem with everyone else’s problem with it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve never been much for relationships. The few times I’ve attempted to go down that road always ended in a five-car pileup of alcohol and self-loathing. And not because the relationships ended, but because I kept trying to commit to something that’s not in my nature.

That’s not to say I won’t end up in a relationship eventually, but it’ll be because I sincerely want to, not because the couples in my life are uncomfortable with my perpetual singledom. Luckily, a recent study revealed what we single ladies have known all along: Being single can be just as satisfying as being in a relationship, but it depends on your attitude toward relationships.

The study, called “Happily Single: The Link Between Relationship Status and Well-Being Depends on Avoidance and Approach Social Goals,” was conducted by researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. They surveyed 4,000 adults twice, one year apart—and since one-fifth of participants were single at the time of both surveys, researchers were able to get a better glimpse into what being single really feels like.

They wanted to find out how people’s temperaments impact their relationship goals, and found that people who tend to avoid conflict and drama in relationships reported that being single was just as satisfying as being coupled up. On the flipside, people who weren’t bothered by the hormonal rollercoaster relationships can turn into were less happy when they were single. Because avoiding drama isn’t a top priority for them, they’re able to focus on what makes a relationship great.

As for why some people find avoiding relationship stressors more important than others, that’s beyond the scope of this particular study. For me personally, I find the drama distracting, exhausting, and a total waste of time. I attribute these feelings to the fact that I’m naturally a reclusive loner who’s never prioritized the whole human interaction thing, and I also have severe commitment issues due to trapping myself in some pretty undesirable situations in the past.

But I only ended up trapped because I wasn’t trusting my instincts: I was letting other people plant seeds of doubt about who I am and how my life should be. Now, those people can suck it. This study (finally!) proves that there’s no one-size-fits-all way to live your life, and you can’t let other people dictate the terms, no matter how well-intentioned they are. Whether they realize it or not, they’re meddling in your life to make themselves feel better, not you.

You know what you want and need better than anybody—and if that’s being single, own it and enjoy the (millions of) perks while your friends walk around in their proverbial shackles. (Enter evil laugh here.)

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Signs you might be taking the whole single life thing a little too far.

The single life is awesome—the freedom, the endless amounts of “me time,” the fact that wearing pants is no longer mandatory—but there comes a time in every single woman’s life where she starts picking up “single woman” habits. You know the ones I’m talking about. And while they may be convenient and life-affirming in the short-term, in the long-term they may become red flags for potential boyfriends.

Is your particular brand of single life making you lose touch with the outside world (and personal hygiene)? Here are 43 subtle signs you may be enjoying the single life a little too much:

1. Every day is granny panty day.
2. You could start your own blog about TV dinners.
3. Your friends don’t bother offering you a plus one anymore because whatever.
4. Your favorite day of the year is February 15th, a.k.a. chocolate clearance day.
5. Your mom wants to set you up on a blind date.
6. Netflix knows you better than your friends.
7. You flinch at the first sign of human contact.
8. You have an entire page of dating apps on your phone.
9. You order dinners for two as a way to save money.
10. Your ex has had about seven girlfriends since you dated.
11. Your fridge is your BFF.
12. You’re thinking about staging Instagram photos so your fam doesn’t get worried.
13. You’re immune to the sympathetic head tilts you receive after a(nother) date gone wrong.
14. You can’t stand the thought of sharing your bed.
15. Your idea of fine dining is picking up takeout on the way home.
16. You’ve named your vibrator so that when you say you have a date with Mark tonight, technically you’re not lying.
17. The last time you shaved was for a date… with your gyno.
18. The cute bank teller smiled at you and you giggled about it for the rest of the day.
19. The only action between your sheets are food stains.
20. You can’t remember the last time you’ve had sex with someone more than once.
21. You’re allergic to PDA.
22. The only man who sends you a card on Valentine’s Day is your dad.
23. There’s no statute of limitations for how long you’ll talk about your cat.
24. Your mom constantly forwards you recipes for one.
25. Your friends are starting to wonder if you’re a lesbian.
26. Your call history includes your parents and your favorite pizza place. Oh, and a wrong number.
27. The love you have for your pillow can never be fulfilled by a human.
28. You’re starting to think that guy with the Chinese symbol tattoo and dark nail polish who asked you out isn’t “that” bad.
29. You’ve swiped so many times on Tinder you now have carpal tunnel.
30. The only love triangle you’re involved in is between you and your fave pairs of sweatpants.
31. Your Google search history includes “freezing eggs.”
32. To everyone else, it’s a rom-com. To you, it’s a horror movie.
33. It’s been so long since you’ve had sex you’ll probably have to take a class.
34. You share your bed with an iPad.
35. Every sponsored ad you see involves “young hot singles”.
36. Flirting has become an ancient pastime. Like gladiators.
37. You send yourself flowers.
38. Your friends think about their boyfriends as much as you think about cookies.
39. Your vagina probably has cobwebs in it.
40. Speaking of which, it’s like a jungle down there.
41. You can’t remember the last time you ate at a table.
42. The last time you went out on a date ICQ was a thing.
43. Even your cat has a boyfriend.

How about you? Do you think the single life has a shelf life?

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Because some of the best movies to watch are even better when you’re flying solo.

While one of the main perks of being a twosome is snuggling up and watching a movie together (or ignoring the movie entirely for a makeout sesh), there are some movies you can’t fully appreciate unless you’re single—either because it’s one of those movies your bf would mock endlessly (so not cool), or because you’d much rather be single than drown in the messy-ass relationships depicted onscreen.

Here are 8 of the best movies to watch when you’re living the single life:

1. “Kill Bill”

The “Kill Bill” movies are by far the best movies to watch when you’re single—especially if your last relationship was the shits. As you’ll learn from these amazingly bloody flicks, it could’ve been worse. Like, way worse.

2. “Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion”

If you’re newly single and down in the dumps about it, there’s nobody better to teach you how kick-ass singledom can be than Romy and Michele. (Just don’t pretend you invented Post-Its. It never works.)

3. “Frances Ha”

This movie is a rare find: It’s about a young woman who’s trying to find a sense of identity in the big city that doesn’t revolve around her meeting a hot guy and falling in love—proving you don’t need a man to be happy, but you do need more popcorn.

4. “Sleeping With the Enemy”

One of my biggest fears is ending up with a guy who works a side job… as a serial killer. (This could stem from my mom being a “Dateline” fanatic, but whatev.) The husband in this movie is basically every woman’s worst nightmare.

5. “Waiting to Exhale”

This is also one of the best movies to watch with your besties (because girl power). Four BFFs bond over their shitty love lives and how hard it is to find a good man. The story’s an important reminder that women need to stand together, and stop acting like dudes are the ultimate accessory. That slot can also be filled by a Gucci bag, with no heartache required.

6. “Fatal Attraction”

I really don’t need to explain this one, do I? But in case I do: Being single means never becoming the wife who’s attacked by the psycho mistress. Watching this movie makes my ovaries shrivel up into little raisins.

7. “Blue Valentine”

If you hate being single and are starting to write Facebook statuses about it, nothing will change your mind faster than watching this movie. In fact, watching Cindy and Dean’s dysfunctional relationship crumble will make you so grateful you’re solo, your friends might start putting “Sister Mary” before your name.

8. “Titanic”

If you’re single, you won’t have to worry about pesky things like who gets the door in the event of a disaster. You know, no biggie.

What do you think are the best movies to watch when you’re single?

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The curious case of being single and awesome.

Relationships are great, don’t get me wrong—the loving, the bonding, the sexing—but there are so many amazing perks that come with being single too. So many, in fact, it’s difficult to ignore the awesomeness of flying solo:

1. You can get your flirt on guilt-free.

2. The entire bed. All to yourself.

3. You don’t have to waste time on his douchey friends.

4. You also don’t have to do the whole insta-BFF thing which his douchey friends’ douchey girlfriends.

5. You can skip shaving for months and nobody will ever know.

6. Your at-home rituals can be as gross and unattractive as you want.

7. You’re not financially tied to someone.

8. Vibrators don’t expect you to return the favor.

9. When you clean your place, it actually stays that way.

10. There’s no such thing as a predictable night out.

11. Sleep. As in, you actually get some.

12. You can be as bloaty and miserable on your period as you want without having to consider someone else’s feelings (or libido).

13. The recommendations on your Netflix queue are actually for you.

14. Closet space.

15. You don’t have to deal with someone else’s family when you can barely deal with your own.

16. Your future relationships will be that much better because you’re taking the time to deal with your shit.

17. You can order the exact pizza toppings you want.

18. You don’t have to compete with an Xbox for attention.

19. You can take as long as you want to get ready without someone getting all judgey.

20. You don’t have to find a place for his scary garage sale chair or gaudy football paraphernalia.

21. You can work late/accept anonymous invites without having to check with anyone first.

22. You can make mistakes without anyone holding them against you.

23. Freedooom!

What do you love most about being single?

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Grocery shopping as a single gal is challenging to say the least. Here’s how to shop healthy while reducing food waste.

Grocery stores are setup to cater to families and Godzilla-sized portions, so until someone opens a chain specifically for single people (somebody please, I’m begging you!), we have to be strategic and thrifty during our grocery shopping trips.

Here are just some of the ways all you single people can keep your trips economical and reduce the amount of food that ends up wasted once it hits your fridge:

1. Decide on your common staples
We all have our go-to snacks and meals we turn to when we’re busy, so make sure you always have those ingredients on hand. This helps free up cash for other food purchases.

2. Shop at home
Go through your kitchen once a week to familiarize yourself with what you have, and when it’s going to expire. This will help you incorporate what’s about to go bad into your following week’s meals.

3. Make a list (and stick to it)
When planning what to buy, plan meals with similar ingredients to avoid excess purchases, then freeze leftovers for days when you don’t feel like cooking or have to work extra hours.

4. Have a snack first
A study from Cornell University finally proved you shouldn’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach: They had 68 adults fast for five hours, then gave some of them crackers while others continued to fast. Those who didn’t have a snack bought 19 percent more food (including higher calorie foods) than those who noshed.

5. Shop by yourself
When I’m grocery shopping with friends and family, I’m less likely to stick to my list. The second someone says, “You have to try this,” I’m hopeless and the item’s in my cart within seconds. Face. Palm.

6. Go for fresh
Stores stock their shelves with the least fresh items toward the front. Don’t be shy about going all the way to the back of the fridge for those cartons of milk!

7. Avoid precut produce
Sure, not having to cut it yourself saves time, but not only is this process more expensive, they tend to spoil almost as soon as you buy them.

8. Shop the bulk bins
You’ll save money on things like coffee, tea, beans and dried fruit when grocery shopping where the bulk bins are (plus, you only have to buy what you know you’ll use!).

9. Buy meat in bulk – on sale
Buying family packs of meat is cheaper as it is, so when it’s on sale it’s an added bonus. Section off the meat as soon as you get home into single-portion freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Speaking of which…

10. Become BFFs with your freezer
If you’re concerned something’s going to go bad before you have a chance to eat it – such as that ginormous mound of spinach you nabbed on sale – learn how to freeze produce properly and go to town!

11. Maximize freshness
My fave destination after I’m done grocery shopping is the website Still Tasty. Type in any food item and they’ll tell you the best ways to keep it fresh for as long as possible.

How do you keep food waste to a minimum when you’re grocery shopping?

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