No One Warned Millennials That Being Single Could Be So Expensive. It’s Becoming One Of The ‘Biggest Financial Barriers No One Talks About’

It turns out, being single in your 30s and 40s isn’t just emotionally isolating for some—it’s financially punishing, too.

A recent Reddit post in r/Millennials sparked a wide-ranging discussion, with many users pointing out that the economic system just isn’t built for individuals.

“I can’t buy food in bulk because on average it would spoil before I could get through it,” the original poster wrote. “So buying smaller portions is not cheaper but somehow more expensive in the end.”

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Many agreed that groceries were only a fraction of the problem. “I’m less concerned about bulk food shopping and more about paying an entire mortgage on my own,” one person replied. “Spinach going bad before I eat it all is not the thing killing my budget.”

As one person explained, their mortgage would have been one-third the cost of their current rent—if only their original plans hadn’t fallen through due to family circumstances. Others noted that being able to split rent and bills would completely change their financial standing.

The conversation quickly expanded to cover a wide range of financial stressors faced by single people: rent, mortgage, home repairs, car maintenance and the inability to split costs.

“It’s super painful to pay alone. My life would be lavish if I could halve my expenses,” one commenter said.

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Several people pointed out that even having a roommate isn’t always a good fix. “For me, the peace of not having to deal with another person is worth not having that extra $1,000 a month,” one wrote. Another added, “Having a roommate can unfortunately be a case of financial Russian Roulette.”

Others admitted that the risks and emotional drain of living with strangers just aren’t worth the savings: “I am an introvert. I’ve had roommates I adored, but even just existing in the same space as another person is exhausting,” one person shared. “Home should be my sanctuary.”

The bulk of responses echoed the idea that the current economic model is more suitable for couples. “Society was not designed for single people and it’s not sustainable long term,” one commenter wrote. Others pushed back, saying it can be done—but only with a high income or extreme discipline.