The night before the TV is much better than going out

“You need to get out of it more,” he would say in a light missiv-like tone.

My daughters often join him and urge me to go here, do this, do it, socialize.

“You work at home, you don't go out and see people,” they say.

I'm trying to tell them I'm so happy about what I'm doing. Even every night, I love the night. If you have ever arranged to go out, it will be in my mind for a few days in advance. Then, day, or – even worse prospects – at night, I have to prepare, get everything I need and check on time. It's too much effort.

And even when I'm out and when I'm having fun, it's never that much, so I'm eager to hurry and do it again. It's not the same as being in front of Terry on the couch.

I'm not alone. A study commissioned by Just Eat found that as many as 78% of people in the UK say they prefer to spend the night on a sofa watching TV. Six of our 10 secretly fear broken cars, sick children amidst the top excuses to get out of nasty colds, food poisoning, broken cars and meeting friends. And while pretending to be disappointed, people say that when someone cancels them they feel happy.

Pretending to catch a nasty cold is one of the top excuses for not going out. Photo: Pixa Bay

I can't pretend that getting older is the reason for my stay-at-home attitude. I've been going like this since I was in my 30s. Over the years when our children were younger, there was no need to invent a false illness or pretend to get into a previous engagement. It was a ready-made, honest excuse for the kids to look after.

In fact, children of all ages are a big excuse to avoid social gatherings. From giving a lift to school events to helping out at birthday parties, I have invented many fictional opportunities in which my daughter is involved.

Research has found that having no money or having to work late is another common FIB. More dramatic excuses include food poisoning attacks, broken cars, sick children, and attending funerals.

A quarter of people talk about why they can't meet FIBS regularly. Although they don't like the noise of busy pubs and restaurants, 20% say socializing outside the home is “hardworking.”

The cold and rainy weather and preparation hassle were other reasons why many of us like to fall on the couch.

When I talk to friends when I actually meet after six years of excuse, they tell me they feel the same way. “I don't go out, I just can't care,” he told me recently.

She thrusts a nail into her head. That's a feeling that you can't worry about it. It's easier to stay at all.

Sometimes I worry about being this hermit-like person, but when I think about it, my parents went out socially only once in a blue moon and they were blissful happiness.

Simple joy, that's what I love. My ideas for the perfect night are burning log fire, couch-worthy cushions, wine bottles, curry cooked by my husband, half of the stuff on the TV. There's nothing to wake up in the morning. bliss.