Some people have simply decided that they prefer the independence of living alone.The phenomenon stretches across all social stratas, from the most affluent to the poorest though the increased cost of living makes it a tough option for lower income groups.Fifty-five per cent of those surveyed said it had a negative impact on their finances, with rent and bills taking up a higher proportion of their income.Despite the increasing trend in living alone, many look forward to a more sociable set up. Thirty-eight per cent of women said it had a positive impact on their relationship with their family compared to 26 per cent of men.In a definite move away from the original nuclear family, more couples are opting to stay in separate properties with a third saying it helped their relationship and a quarter wanting to remaining that way indefinitely. Fifty-six per cent of males said they were sometimes lonely compared with 48 per cent of females.This may be because women are more likely to see friends and family frequently. Particularly among older males, they are no longer willing to live with parents and their friends are likely to be settled with their own families.More than one third of households are now single occupancy, compared with barely one fifth 30 years ago while the percentage of the population living solo had more than doubled from 6 to 13 per cent.The result is a cultural shift that not only fuels claims of a "non-family" society but potentially throws up problems in later life with pensioners not having a live-in carer.The Unilever Family Report 2005, which questioned 1,142 people aged 25 to 44, found that men generally found living alone harder than women, and are less likely to say it is their choice. With sales in excess of