Your Saturday Night: Single Vs. In A Relationship

We’ve all been there — single, not single, primping for a Saturday night with friends, relaxing at home instead. Though we may not admit or realize it, our worlds are quite different when we’re single versus not. So, what changes when you fall in love? Well, Saturday nights, for one. Saturday nights turn from wild nights out to wild nights in watching True Detective, TV characters out living our lives for us. Almost like people with kids, coupling up (and, dare I say, being a little less social) is in between singledom and being home with a baby.

Some cities have more single people than not — for instance, there’s more single women on the East Coast and more single men on the West. Other cities subtly propagate staying out later, which is particularly appealing to single people (or, at least, this single person and my unattached friends) with bars that stay open till 4 or 5 a.m., like in Chicago and New York (not to mention 24/7 Vegas).

Conversely, with all the television channels and varied subscription packages available to us these days (and venues through which to watch them: TVs, laptops, iPads, phones, etc.), sometimes staying in is just as appealing. It all depends on the end goal: a night out (with friends) for fun or in hopes of meeting someone, or a night in with your girlfriend or boyfriend.

Here's a breakdown of a Saturday night, single vs. coupled up.

1. Your reaction to it being Saturday ...

SINGLE: Counting down the days — no, minutes — to Saturday night...

IN A RELATIONSHIP: Oh, it's Saturday night?

2. Getting ready ...

SINGLE: It takes hours to get ready: showering shaving, waxing, getting manis & pedis, etc.

IN A RELATIONSHIP: Zero prep (maybe yoga pants, a tee-shirt, and your hair loosely tied back).

3. Your go-to outfit ...

SINGLE: Where's my little black dress?

IN A RELATIONSHIP: Where are my yoga pants?!

4. Your thoughts on girls' night ...

SINGLE: Girls' night!

IN A RELATIONSHIP: Girls' night? Why bother? Long lines to get in, a crazy cover, aggressive guys, bad pick-up lines... No thanks.

5. The plans that get you excited ...

SINGLE: Friends: "We're going to The Standard tonight!" You: "Great, I'll be there!" (Commute time: About an hour across the city, but you don't mind/NBD.)

IN A RELATIONSHIP: House of Cards starts tonight! Pass the remote! (Commute time: 10 seconds from the kitchen to the living room.)

6. Dinner plans ...

SINGLE: Before we go clubbing, let's hit up that new impossible-to-get-into, way-too-expensive sushi place!

IN A RELATIONSHIP: Do we still have that leftover pizza in the fridge?

7. Lines ...

SINGLE: Oh, a line to get in? No biggie.

IN A RELATIONSHIP: A line?! F*** that.

8. Pay day ...

SINGLE: I got paid yesterday. Drinks on me!

IN A RELATIONSHIP: I got paid yesterday. We can use the money for our utility bill.

9. Your birth control methods ...

SINGLE: Internal monologue: "Should I put condoms in my purse?"

IN A RELATIONSHIP: I'm in a serious relationship — we've got birth control covered (though this wine is making me sleepy and I'm exhausted from binge-watching House of Cards, so, chances are, we won't even make it to sex — or the bedroom).

10. When you're up until 5 a.m. ...

SINGLE: Stay out till 5 a.m., no problem. "It's five already?! I can stay out all night!"

IN A RELATIONSHIP: "It's five already?! Can't believe we watched the whole season of House of Cards!"

11. The morning after ...

SINGLE: The Sunday morning after the all-nighter: "I'm sleeping all day!"

IN A RELATIONSHIP: Sunday, 8 a.m.: "Rise and shine! Time to meet your parents for brunch!"

Images: Phil Chester/Flickr; Giphy (121)