Dear Nicola, is there a way to make peace with the added financial stress that can comes with being single?

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Hi Nicola,

I wondered if you had any advice for becoming comfortable with the financial side of being single rather than the emotional?

I’m in my late 20s and have never been in a serious relationship. It used to really bother me but most days I'm ok with it now, which I’m really proud of achieving. I’ve worked part time since I was 16 and have been supporting myself almost entirely since I left home for uni at 18. I’ve never been in debt and am working towards building the freelance career I've always wanted, even though I’ve never made much money doing it (yet!). I used to be fairly ok with this set-up and was proud of my independence.

Coronavirus has made me doubt this though. I’m self employed and lost around 75% of my expected income overnight at the beginning of the pandemic and am still only able to work part-time hours. Although I’ve been getting some extra income from the government schemes, it’s not enough and I’m slowly watching my life savings go on rent and bills. It’s been …