I was surprised not to see the roommate suggestion more in this thread.
I guess it's highly dependent on where you're at culturally, as I can think of many regions where this wouldn't be normal.
After ~15 years of living alone I just took on a new roommate myself in my 40s. It's a friend of a family member who is half my age and needed a better living situation. I'm in a house that's too big for me and this kinda works. I'm still adjusting and largely an introvert but this more than scratches my social itch and gives me an excuse to cook more/better food.
Agreed, roommates were huge for me before I started a family. I have a strong tendency to become a hermit, and having another human in the vicinity is just enough healthy social pressure to snap me out of it. Forces me to wash the dishes and do normal human things.
Also very important for me: I always have some decent clothes hanging in my closet that are washed, prepped and ready to go for various situations. Not having something nice to wear for a last-minute social event is a massive source of friction, but if I can easily throw on some clothes that I feel good about then it really dials up my enthusiasm.
I guess it's highly dependent on where you're at culturally, as I can think of many regions where this wouldn't be normal.
After ~15 years of living alone I just took on a new roommate myself in my 40s. It's a friend of a family member who is half my age and needed a better living situation. I'm in a house that's too big for me and this kinda works. I'm still adjusting and largely an introvert but this more than scratches my social itch and gives me an excuse to cook more/better food.