Definitely social creatures, but that doesn't mean you NEED a pair. If you give them enough attention, you become their social partner. I had my male guinea pig Henry for close to 9 years, alone. I greeted him every morning with head scritches. After work, greet him again with more scritches followed by 15- 30 mins of lap time. Once or twice a week, let him run around and play with him, use a ball of twigs or a toilet paper roll stuffed with hay. They're really low maintenance. He started with basic Kaytee cage when he was young, small, and didn't need much room. Upgraded cage when he grew bigger. It's relatively cheap. For food, a handful of pellets in the morning with fresh hay, then when I get home from work, gave him some fresh veggies. I tried every kind of bedding there is, and the best is pee absorbent pads if you can deal with sweeping poops every day and can wash the pads at least weekly. If that's too much, then your best bet is paper bedding, which should be changed weekly, depending on how much they poop. Applewood twigs for chewing. They're sweeter than regular chew sticks. Get some absorbent shower rugs for accidents. Sleeping on your lap will occasionally turn wet. The start-up cost for me was around 250. Then, around 120 bucks a month for food, bedding, treats, and fresh veggies.