If you are one of the many twenty somethings still living at home with their parents, fear not my friends. You are not alone. I’m 25 and I still live at home with my mom. Do I wish I lived on my own? Absolutely! As much as I love my mom, there are days when I crave being on my own and the independence that comes from being on your own. Do I consider myself ‘lame’ or ‘weird’ because I still live at home? Absolutely not. I consider myself to be freaking awesome no matter my living situation. But here’s the thing: according to Business Insider, one in three millennials (or roughly 31 percent) live at home with their parents.
The world we live in today is very different from the one our parents grew up in. Things are twice the cost of what they used to be. Gas. Groceries. Clothes. It’s ridiculous. And most cities, depending on where it is you call home, barely pay a living wage, making it all the more difficult to strike out on your own and be okay. If I lived on my own as of right now, I would barely make enough to pay rent and utilities, let alone have enough left over for groceries or to pay my health insurance.
Most millennials cringe at the thought of living with their parents past the age of 18. Others think living with their parents past the age of 25 immediately means that their life is over and they will never be able to live on their own. Calm down drama queens. Your life isn’t over just because you still live at home with your parents. It can actually be a good thing.
Here are all the reasons I think it’s totally okay that I still live at home with my parents.
Living at home saves you money.
Unless your parents are making you pay rent or help out with household expenses, you shouldn’t have THAT many outside expenses. Take this time to hoard as much of that money as you can.
If you are working and living at home, you may have parents who decide to introduce you to ‘the real world.’
That means paying rent, some of the household utilities, and other expenses — including your own. This teaches you how to be a responsible, contributing adult in society. And seriously, if you are still living at home in your mid-twenties, your parents should not be paying for anything. Period.
Home cooked meals.
None of that processed, Ramen noodle and cheese stuff.
Getting to spend time with your parents and other family members, including your four legged friends.
Yes, you may have spent 18 years at home already with these people, and they might be just as sick of you as you are of them, but it is important to spend as much time with these people as possible.
Those are just some of the reasons why it’s okay to be 25 and still live at home. The reality is that more millennials are moving back home with their parents or moving out later in life. That doesn’t mean you are ‘lame’ or ‘weird.’ Nor does it make you ‘the forty year old virgin who still lives at home in their parents’ basement.’ And your life is not over by any means. You can still go out with your friends and have relationships. You can still go to work and participate in life.
Word of advice: Don’t take advantage of your parents just because you live at home. Realize that you are now an adult. Don’t become a ‘moocher‘ and take your parents kindness in letting you live with them as an opportunity to take without expecting anything in return. Be sure to thank them every day that they let you stay.
3 Comments
Gabby, thanks for this article. This is awesome. I completely agree that it’s OKAY to still live with our parents at this age. I’m 25 and I moved back home right after college. As long as we’re contributing, whether that’s through chores or money (it might differ on the household and their rules), and we are not being a burden on our parents, it’s a great way to save money and spend time with family. For some reason it has this stigma attached to it, like we’re lazy if we move back home. We just spent the last 17+ years in school!
I agree college was great thanks to its freedom and not having to answer as much about where we’re going or what we’re doing. We’re smart enough to make those decisions. But of course our families care about us, so if that’s what we have to do while we’re living at home, then bring on the home cooked meals and family time!
This is what is wrong with America today, the infantilization of young people and people in general. How can you consider yourself a man or woman without ever taking responsibility for your own life? Get a better job and find a way to get off your mommy and daddy’s teet. You are only hurting yourself by delaying the growing up process. As a millennial who moved out at 19, articles like this make me cringe. You are still a child if you’re still at home at 25. Your point about the cost of living is moot, wages are much higher than they were when our parents were growing up. Stop making excuses and figure it out!!! You’re only hurting yourself!!
Needed this.