Hello my name is Adrianna, I am 24 and I still live with my parents. Okay, I am not a 40-year-old post-grad, but am starting to feel amiss because many of my friends have already moved out of their parents’ homes
It is like the movie Grandma’s Boy, where Nick Swardson refers to his parents as his “roommates” just to make it seem less lame. Then again, he also rocks a onesie and sleeps in an over-sized Matchbox car. At least I can give myself credit for not resorting to those measures.
As someone who has graduated in her mid-20s, I realize the trend is to move out of your parents’ home. Those around me moved out between six months and one year from when we graduated college in 2010.
Although I sometimes stay in on Fridays to watch a movie with my family, keep my parents notified with what time I am coming home from the bars, and have to do Saturday chores… I think I am being smart by staying at home.
Some of my friends make bank for their entry-level positions. There are a few of my friends who make between $50-$52,000 per year. Drinks on them! But, when you are paying for an apartment that costs between $1,100 – $1,350 a month, it kind of levels out the playing field. That doesn’t even factor in utilities, happy hour tabs, dinners, and everything in between.
So the first “pro” is that I am saving a huge amount. Especially if I were to be putting money into a rented apartment, which is not even an investment. I would be pumping out $1,200 a month just to have great memories and a place to sleep and shower in between bar trips. In reality, this whole moving out event is just an extension of college.
The second great pro to living at home is the moments I get to share with my family for that much longer. I am 24. I do want to get married before I am 30, which to those not in their 20s seems far away. But, each year creeps up on you quicker than the next. When I do get engaged, I will move out, and when I move out, that will be the last time that I will live with my parents.
It will be the last time my dad will kill the (harmless) spiders for me when one crosses my wall at two in the morning, disturbing my slumber. The last time I wake up on a Sunday and smell my mother sauteeing garlic in olive oil to start making the sauce. The last time I will hear my brothers come home at two AM from their very exciting night out at the diner. The last time I can come home from work and snuggle with my yellow Labrador retriever that we rescued, who is always so excited to see me when I walk through the door.
There is no reason why I can’t hold onto these moments for that much longer as I save up a lot of money. It is worth dealing with the few bickering arguments we get into as well as observing the few house rules to stay in a clean home with a constant supply of food and love. Although living in the city sounds SO Carrie Bradshaw, I would definitely take actually having money and a side of meatballs over that.
