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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Pros + Cons of Moving Back In With Your Parents

If you're new around here, I moved back in with my parents at the end of last month. At this point in my/our life, Josh and I are trying to save money for a house and a future wedding. (Weddings and Houses aren't cheap people)
 
It hasn't been easy, but it hasn't been terrible either.
 
If you're planning on moving back in, here are a few things to consider:
 
Pros and Cons

 

PROS:

 
Your parents will likely pay for a majority of your "living" expenses. For example: Electricity,  DirectTV or cable, Internet, AC, water, and more! My parents also pay for my gas and groceries. Oh and they cook dinner!
 
You won't be lonely. There are people to come home to at night and if your family is anything like mine, there's never a dull quiet moment.
 
Think of all the money you're saving. I'm able to save a TON. I'm paying myself as if I were still paying rent, plus some. So while I don't technically have more money to spend on whatever I want, I am able to save more than I was when I lived in my apartment.
 
When something breaks, it's usually not your fault. If it is, your parents will still love you, won't fine you and will fix it. My parents (my dad) are the repair people. No more strange men, careless neighbors, structural problems that can't be fixed.
  • When I lived in my apartment, I couldn't have the shower, AC, TV, and lights on or the breaker would flip. My next door neighbors flooded my apartment thanks to an over-flowing washing machine, and my upstairs neighbors did the same except it was their AC.
It's temporary. You won't be living with your parents until you're 40. Sometimes it's best to swallow your pride and just do it.
 
Three more closets full of clothes. My sisters, my  mom, and I are all about the same size. It's been great being able to grab outfits from each closet instead of buying new clothes!
 
Living at your parent's level/income. It took them about 30-40 years to get where they are and let's face it, living on recent graduate's ramen noddle budget sucks. When your parents have a pool and you can barely round up enough change for a Coke ICEE, you know it's better to live at home.

 

CONS:

 
You may have a longer drive to work than you're used to. It's an hour long commute to work in the morning and back home at night. It's the worst on Friday afternoons when it's the weekend, but I still have an hour to drive!
 
You really, really want your own place. Gosh, I really want my own place. Or I should say, Josh and I, really want our own place. I've been "house hunting" since I moved in even though we won't be buying or building for at least another year! P.S. Watching HGTV doesn't help.
 
Your parents might try to treat you like you're a child again. Thankfully this hasn't happened to me yet.
 
There's nowhere to put all of the stuff you accumulated in your one bedroom apartment. I had to get a storage unit and just got everything in there this past weekend! Our dining room was filled with boxes and it was driving my mom nuts


When I moved back in, I seriously worried what everyone would think of me (at 24) moving in with my parents. After all, at this point in life, you're supposed to be moving out. But I realized that it doesn't matter what everyone else is thinking or doing. It's really not a big deal and you've got to do what you've got to do.



21 comments:

  1. Love this post! I want to get my own apartment, and I'm really conflicted on whether I should or not. I think it would be really nice to have my own place, but I don't even want to think about how much money it would cost me.

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  2. I remember moving back in with my parents when I filed for divorce. I hated it. lol especially when you're parent yourself. I kept being told what to do as if I was a child. The only thing I loved about it was that I was living there rent free and I was able to save money. lol

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  3. I moved back in with my mom for a brief stint about a year ago. A def pro is home cooked meals! You're making a smart decision because you will save lots of money!

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  4. I definitely relate to this post! I've moved back in with my parents but it really isn't bad - I like being able to save money. It's something less to stress about for sure! While I'd love to have more space from time to time, it was definitely the right decision for me (rent in Toronto is ridiculous). I really think the pros outweigh the cons for now!

    Alessandra | blog.pumpup.com

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  5. I 100% relate to everything in this post! I moved home after graduating from school and lived there for about a year and a half. I hated being in the burbs and having a long commute to work, but I sure did love how cheap it was! Paying rent still crushes my soul. Save as much money as humanely possible and don't blow all your money shopping like I did, haha!

    xo, Alicia | Alicia Tenise

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  6. I 100% agree with all of these things. A big plus is my parents cooking and paying for all the big bills.

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  7. Glad it's been working out so far! Hope it stays that way!

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  8. I feel like most people move back in with their parents these days! I did!

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  9. Why have I never thought to put the equivalent of rent into my savings each month? That's seriously such a great idea! When I moved home I really thought it was the end of the world, but honestly I kinda love it now. It was probably easier for me though because I had never really been on my own, I went from the dorm to 3 years living in my sorority house to graduating and moving back home.

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  10. I moved back in with my rents for a few months and thoroughly enjoyed it.
    It was nice to be able to save a lot of money and get lots of home cooked meals and attention since my rents had missed me being around so much.

    xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys

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  11. You made great points. I moved back in with my parents after college and before grad school. It only lasted for under a year, but I really didn't mind. It was nice to have the company....and lots of home cooked meals.

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  12. I totally don't think it's a bad idea to save money by living at home for awhile. My parents don't really have a space for me or I might take advantage of the option of saving money!

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  13. I can imagine these cons being annoying! Especially not having enough space.. I haven't moved back into my parent's house bc I still live here and haven't moved out and I have NOO space!
    Lauren
    The Fashionista's Diary

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  14. I moved back in with my family after graduation, and I stayed 18 months. Haha. It was a lot because there was a lot of turmoil in my family at the time, but it was also wonderful because I saved money, had immediate access to a washing machine, dinner was always on the table when I got home, and I was able to help my little brother with his school work. I love having my own space, but I really do miss the comfort of living at home!

    XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass

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  15. I like that you discussed both the pros and cons. I think most people have a stigma about moving back in with family. I would't hesitate if I had to move back in at some point! You gotta do what you gotta do!

    Nicole // Chronicling Home

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  16. Totally agreed with these things and Glad it's been working out so far!!!

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  17. Those home cooked meals though...and you're right - utilities being covered is one of the best perks!

    Coming Up Roses

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  18. You're so right... watching HGTV definitely does not help! It instantly gives me the urge to own my own home. That and getting on Pinterest!

    Kayla | kaylablogs.com

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  19. These are all so true! I miss all of the money I was able to save while at home!

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  20. Too true - do your own thing, girl! Don't worry about what other people think, at the end of the day you should always do what's best for you.
    xx, Southwestern Prepster

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