What were you doing this Independence Day weekend? Snuggling with your significant other while watching the fireworks? Aw, how sweet. Crouched in your basement re-reading your Twilight books for Edward/Jacob comfort? Hey, don’t sweat it. Here’s 5 reasons why being single is a-ok.

1. Rollin’ in the Dough (Kinda). Let’s face it, as great as it is being in a relationship, it takes a serious toll on your wallet. Unless your partner is paying for everything that you guys do (in which case I think you’re just using him/her), you’re going to find yourself spending a lot for all the little things you do. Lunch date–money. After lunch ice cream–money. Ice skating–money. Movies–money. There are very few things in the world that doesn’t cost money, and going to the park gets boring after a while. Oh, and don’t even get me started on those one-month or anniversary gifts. Instead of lamenting your relationship status, take out your wallet and relish in the fact that your Benjamins are going to be used for something you want.

2. Friends are Forever. People in relationships always complain about how hard it is to balance their boyfriend/girlfriend with their friends, and I totally agree. You wanna show your partner that he/she is special, but what about your friends who’ve been with you since forever? Well, thank god if you’re single because you don’t have this issue. No jealous boyfriends or girlfriends, just friend time, all the time. So chill out, drop those romance novels, and head over to your BFF’s to enjoy that friendship you’ve always had.

3. There’s YOU. And there’s the other YOU. Somewhere along the twisted road that is Relationship Way, people start referring to you guys as one entity. Forget about what you want, it’s always, “Hey Lexi, what are you and ______ gonna be doing tomorrow?” or “Do you know when Lexi and _____ are coming?” And don’t even get me started on nicknames. Ever since Brangelina hit Perez Hilton’s blog, people have gone through a lets-see-if-I-can-put-your-names-together-without-making-it-sound-weird phase. Thanks, but no thanks. So yeah, as much as I appreciate being joined to the hip by outside forces, I’d much rather people talk to me without wondering where my other half is.

4. You can CRUSH, and you can FLIRT. Hell, if you’re not devoted to one person, you can go out and have the time of your life. Crush on that random hottie at the beach. Flirt with that co-worker with the most gorgeous smile. And best of all? You won’t be called bad names if you flip through guys (or girls) like Saturday morning TV channels. Being single in the summer is a blessing, ’cause you’re free to make whatever memories you want, take that how you will.

5. No feelings were hurt in the making of this relationship status. Last, but not least, being single ensures the fact that you won’t hurt anybody. Tell me, how many relationships end with happy endings? Yeah, rarely. I’ve been through enough tears and pain to know that relationships are hard and they take work, trust, and a whole bunch of those other intangible adjectives that you insert right after another. With a relationship comes commitment, honesty, and jealousy. If you want to tell me that you’ve been in or seen a relationship that was as smooth as Ed Westwick’s British accent, well, I say that’s major bullpoopie. Even the best couple have fights every so often. So think of it this way, if you’re not giving your heart to someone else, at least it won’t get broken.

What do you think about the single life? Good? Bad? Would rather be eating dinner right now?