Still Living at Home

Star Trek Fan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:12:57 +0100

I'm 22 years old, a fourth year college student at Liberty University in Virginia(Online), and I still live with my parents. Some people have pestered me about moving out, but I'm not ready to do that yet. I'll only move out when I marry, and that likely won't be for several years yet. I haven't found the right man, and I'm not going to rush into marriage just to get those people of my back. I'll marry when I'm ready, and my parents are behind me 100%. So who else still lives at home?

Re: Still Living at Home

Almira Torralba — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:31:56 +0100

Here! I plan to move out next year, when my schedule at post grad starts becoming impossible. My parents would really rather have me at home though my friends have been bugging me to move out to a dorm nearer to school.

Re: Still Living at Home

jessicagk — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:37:44 +0100

I'm 24, a university graduate, and still living at home. Between student loans and still trying to have 'fun money', it's just not feasible for me to get my own place at this point. My sister always bugs me about it, but it'll come in time.

Re: Still Living at Home

FrankieCroooow — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:42:43 +0100

I'm 21, 22 in November, and I still live at home. Money's pretty tight for me as I don't have a steady job. I'm not the only child of my parents living at home though, so I don't really have anyone bugging me about moving out. Frankly, it's more convenient for me to live at home while I try to figure out school and job.

Re: Still Living at Home

daqu — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:57:12 +0100

Well I'm still in college, so I live at home while I'm at home (I went away to school)

Re: Still Living at Home

J.E.Blackworth — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:00:41 +0100

I'm 20 years old, in open university and in a part-time job, so I don't have much resources for moving out anyway. If I get into an university next year, then I'll definitely move out. I'm getting anxious around here...

madmaiden — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:04:46 +0100

I'm still at home. Just finished college but staying at home until I can afford to get my own place.

Re: Still Living at Home

Saspirilla — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:19:28 +0100

I'm 22 and commuting to University from home. It's a three hour round trip, hitting rush hour both ways as classes are 9-5. Ahh the joys of living out on the sticks and having household income of £1500 over the bursary limit. On the plus side, no loans, no drunk people coming home at all hours (well my wee bro does) and all the money I make at my weekend job is my own :)

Re: Still Living at Home

Sexmuffin_Cannibal — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:03:55 +0100

I go to a community college and commute back and forth. I also work a full time job that helps pay for school. Hopefully I'll be out on my own next fall when I transfer!!

Re: Still Living at Home

wolfloverapril — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:05:05 +0100

I am 23 and still living at home. I'm also unemployed and broke. I graduated from college with my Bachelor's degree in web design but can't seem to get a job as a web designer. As soon as I can afford it, I'm moving out, but until then, I'm stuck living by my parent's rules which are really starting to irritate me.

Re: Still Living at Home

hildred — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:30:06 +0100

Technically I don't live at home now (I, uh, live in a separate country now) but I did up until earlier this year. And when my contract here overseas runs out odds are I'll be moving back home for at least a little while until I can HOPEFULLY get a job in the States. I really hate never knowing where I'm going to be a year from now, but that's how the economy is sadly.

Re: Still Living at Home

cinnamon.quill — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:51:11 +0100

I'm 21 and I live at home. If I wasn't living with my parents, I wouldn't have managed to tag along to NYC and I'd still be back in New Zealand.

Re: Still Living at Home

LHSflute — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:02:38 +0100

I'm 23 and living at home. I just went back to school (community college in the area) and there's no way I'd be able to work enough hours to support myself on top of classes (nor would I want to!). So I'm living with my mom and my three younger siblings. I may move out if I get into a university (the one I want is near enough to commute to, so I wouldn't HAVE to move out, but it'd be more convenient), but that's a couple years off anyway.

Re: Still Living at Home

Cybrewaste — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:45:27 +0100

I'm still living at home at 21. I'm not really feeling the pressure from my parents to move out as I'm just going to University at the moment, working and looking after my grandfather most days as my parents work super long hours. I'm probably going to be moving out next year when I move to a different university on the other side of the city, but right now there isn't really any rush for me at the moment.

Re: Still Living at Home

scooterbug8515 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:46:24 +0100

By posting here I JUST might make ya'll feel better. 25 (26 in November) and still living at home, and no it is not because I'm suffering from a case of "Failure to Launch". The economy such such that I can't get much more than a part time little over a minimum wage job and really on your own in my city on that income is not something that is feasible unless you wanna live on Rammen if your lucky and and live in the seedy parts of town.

Re: Still Living at Home

oazan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:52:26 +0100

I moved out of my parent's house when I was 19, tried living on my own, realized I was broke and my boyfriend and I were completely stressed out, so we moved into his mom's house to live rent free until we can summon up better paying jobs and move back out. I'm working to find something that will allow me to pay rent on an apartment, possibly, because I'm losing my mind living with his family (I'm 23 going on 24 now, so... I've been here a few years now).

Re: Still Living at Home

lilibel — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:00:46 +0100

Hi, 26 and moved back home in January after having finished my studies in order to save up as much as possible on rent, food, clothing, laundry, before running off to the other side of the world (literally). there is also this student loan thing to pay of at some point. For 6 months I was jobless and tensions arose but now I have found something, it's getting better ^^ I haven't lived at home for 3 years, so it's been going on and off with the parents. First Nano home since 2006 so it's going to be ... fun? At least mum is totally supportive and always keeps me on tracks (dad tends to forget that the Nano is in November, every year and not on random months). The worst thing about having moved back in? Having to tidy up my room on a regular basis like when I was 16. Otherwise, the food is good, the rent is unexistant and mum accepts on doing the ironing (and believe me, if only for that, I'd stay home forever :p)

Re: Still Living at Home

WiresInABox — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:06:06 +0100

I live home temporarily, I have had my own place while I studied but right now I'm jobless and can't move until I find a job. I really miss my own flat and I'm longing for my own place again! Still my parents are the sweetest ever, and no one of my sisters are living home at the moment so they are only happy that I am here to keep them company.

Re: Still Living at Home

Kaleidoscope27 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:22:29 +0100

24-going-on-25 and still at home. I moved out for uni for three years (with the exception of school holidays), then back. And I moved out for 9 months to move in with my boyfriend, then that kinda fell apart so I moved back. I'm hoping to move out permenantly in the next couple of months or so. (Back in with the boyfriend. We're learning from the mistakes of last time we lived together!)

Re: Still Living at Home

HeraldMage — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:24:41 +0100

I live with my dad (about to be 22 next month), and frankly can't ever see me moving out xD I'm too scared of the world! People are crazy out here now-a-days, and I just feel safer here with him and our two dogs. Then there's the whole school/money thing. I can't for the life of me figure out a major, and I've only ever had one job in my whole life (yeah, kinda spoiled hur), so... I'm pretty much *explicit* :3 The only other pressures I have on me right now come indirectly from my cousin. She's traveling and seeing the world, which makes me feel like I'm a lazy bum (technically I am but that's beside the point) and really kinda boring. My best friend and I have playfully discussed getting an apartment at some point, but, kinda hoping that won't be for a while yet.

Re: Still Living at Home

fremd — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:34:47 +0100

20 years old, still living by on grace of my parents, lol. Good thing, too, with the job market the way it is right now in my country and me thinking it'd be a good idea to take a break for a semester from school. Luckily my 22 year old sister also lives with us and as long as we're both trying to move forward, nobody pressures us to move out or anything.

Re: Still Living at Home

Dracobolt — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:26:41 +0100

23, living at home still. I haven't been able to get a steady job that pays enough to be able to afford a place. But I'm going stir-crazy here, so I'm working on some plans to get free.

Re: Still Living at Home

Westwoods — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:33:12 +0100

I'm 23, graduated, and still living at home. I was supposed to be in South Korea for my TESOL student teaching, but I had some pretty nasty health issues while spending the summer in Mexico and had to postpone my trip to Korea. I never got the dorm experiance because the university I went to in less than an hour drive from my parent's house and it was sooooo much cheaper to commute. I'm ok with that though. How many college students graduate, take a 2 month trip to Mexico, and still have no debt and enough money to spend a quarter studying in South Korea? There's no way I'd be able to do all this stuff if my parents weren't letting me live at home rent free.

Re: Still Living at Home

Yirggzmb — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:49:54 +0100

I'm 23, graduated college a little more than a year ago, and still live at home. I've finally got a job, but it's just a part time thing that doesn't pay all that well. But even if it was financially feasible for me to move out, I know for a fact I am simply not emotionally ready to be on my own just yet. Fortunately, my parents don't care so long as I am working and help out around the house.

Re: Still Living at Home

lost in reverie — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:02:57 +0100

I'm 22, and I live at home while I'm not away at university (I have my own apartment in Chicago near my school). However, I still plan on living at home for a couple years after I graduate next year in order to work toward paying off my school loans the best I can and getting into a more manageable financial situation before I look for my own place permanently.

Re: Still Living at Home

Tika — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:23:18 +0100

I'm 24, I graduated from University this July, looking for a job, so... yeah, I still live at my childhood's home. Sometimes it's really frustrating when Mother still wants to set the boundaries as if I'm a child and not an adult, so naturally, we have some big(ger) fights over these things, but after a few hours of silence we usually compromise. I understand it's hard for her, but... I feel like I won't really be an adult unless I get my own place. There's just this little thing called money and looking for a job. I don't want to live far away, a street or two would be okay (I really love living here), but I still had my own place with my FREEDOM. I want to try myself in the big World. Time to get my life going! But first... a job... ugh >>.

Re: Still Living at Home

Midnightatnoon — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:51:02 +0100

23 living at home. Working full time but my job does not make enough to live off of. Trying to move out and get another job at Starbucks or something...need to get out of here.

Re: Still Living at Home

Muse Writ — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:01:00 +0100

I've lived at home, moved out, and now I am living back home. I was going to school but with no way to make payments, I had to drop out. I'm hoping if I can pick up a job before January, I can go back in the spring, but I think I'm going to have to wait till next fall, which makes me a bit miserable. Also agree with a lot of you - jobs are scarce. I count myself lucky that, even though my family drives me nuts, I have a very understanding mom.

Re: Still Living at Home

melomania — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:17:53 +0100

I feel like most of you actually have pretty good reasons for living at home. I'm 24, I finished college 2 years ago (wow, has it been 2 years already?) and I have a full-time job. My younger brother is a cadet at the Air Force Academy and he's getting married after he graduates next summer. I have no plans to move out, since I actually like living at home. My parents and I get along, and they actually spend a lot of time out-of-state, which means I'm living by myself. Win-win.

Re: Still Living at Home

0rdinaryvanity — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:18:48 +0100

That'd be me. I'm 25 and still live at home, although I just started a new job last month that pays pretty decent, so if I'm smart and save up there's a very real possibility I can move out. :) I did live in an apartment with three roommates several years ago during college. Despite the roomies bringing suspicious people home or throwing parties without clearing it with everyone first, I enjoyed the experience.

Re: Still Living at Home

Mistress Aeryn — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:17:29 +0100

*puts hand up somewhat timidly* I think I have everyone beat. I'm 27 and I still live at home. Like scooterbug8515 from earlier in the thread it's not a case of 'failure to launch' - I can't afford to move out, though I desperately want to. Rents are far too expensive around here, and no realtor/landlord is going to accept an application from someone with no rental history anyway. One reason is that there's four adults living in my house (my parents, my brother and I), which is quite frankly too small for all of us to live in comfortably. Plus I think I just need to be somewhere that I don't feel judged for my various quirks and whatnot. I'm currently on the very long waiting list for public housing, and I'm hoping I get offered a flat soon (or if not soon, before I'm 30), *crosses fingers*

Re: Still Living at Home

Ghostlovescore — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:36:56 +0100

20 years old and living at home because I chose to stay at home to attend my local university and to make you all feel better, I study Film. FILM. So I am guaranteed to be continuing my crappy part time sales assistant job after uni too.

Re: Still Living at Home

Anjirika — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:37:34 +0100

*raises hand* I'm twenty three, and I still live at home. I'm a certified teacher, with no place to teach (grr) and because I'm working retail, and have car payments, I can't afford to move out on my own. Plus, with us moving at the end of October (thank heavens we're not moving during November, or else I'd be so screwed for NaNo this year) I really want to enjoy my new home for as long as I can. ^_^

Re: Still Living at Home

quixotic_hope — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:52:24 +0100

I'm 22 and still living at home. I graduated from college in 2010. My mom gave me a year to find a job on my own, and then she got me one where she works. It's seasonal and doesn't pay enough to allow me to live on my own, but I'm hoping I can save some. My boyfriend's also 22. He's still in school and living with his parents. We're hoping he can find something when he graduates that would be able to pay for some of the bills...I could probably pay my share with what little income I get, but there is no way I could afford it by myself - especially not if I had to pay for him, too. I've been thinking of going back to get my master's in teaching, but the current economy has me thinking maybe that's not a good idea either. :(

Re: Still Living at Home

dssmith — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:58:23 +0100

I'm 28 and live with my parents. I pay my own bills, cook, clean, and help out with other things around the house. All of my training and education pointed me towards being a teacher, but that didn't work out well at all. I was terrible at it when it came down to the real business of teaching, and I was basically told to either resign or be fired. So now I'm a part-time accounting clerk and paying down all my credit card and medical debts ... my parents are amazingly gracious enough to let me live at home, but they're also smart enough to make me take care of myself instead of leaning on them for everything. I used to beat myself up all the time for still living at home and being nearly 30, but I've learned to stop comparing myself to others. Everyone's got their own story.

Re: Still Living at Home

Morogo — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:05:09 +0100

I was forced into living back at home after university and evil landlords who don't know when there breaking people's human rights. (kicked out because they wanted to renovate without any notice, so it was either go back to parents or homeless). It's weird and annoying having lived about 3 hours away from parent's for 3 years and stuff, and now back. It's driving me bonkers, but have a job and saving like hell to move out whoop :) what can I say, I like my independence P:

Re: Still Living at Home

Kohakuu — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:08:47 +0100

21 and still at home, since the community college is close enough to drive to everyday (and has no dorms), but we'll see how things go in the near future.

Re: Still Living at Home

KedaseDerragar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:21:44 +0100

I'm 22, graduated from college, and still at home, though I'm aiming to move in with my boyfriend by next August. I'm lucky enough to have parents who make enough that they aren't planning on charging me rent or anything - as long as I'm working and helping out with housework, I'm free to be here for at least the next year or two. (It also helps that my mom's over-50 brother is also living with us, and very unmotivated - it takes a lot of heat off me.)

Re: Still Living at Home

allmylove — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:34:17 +0100

I'm 21, doing my 4th year at uni, in theory i could probably afford to move out right now but I really want to travel next year and it seems silly to pay rent on a place i'm not living in while i'm travelling. It would also seem silly to buy a car and pay insurance etc while not in the country and i wouldn't be able to move out without one... So hopefully by this time next year i will be out on my own... what's a few more months anyway?

Re: Still Living at Home

kwizzitive — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:51:58 +0100

I only just moved out last month. I'm 26.

Re: Still Living at Home

Kaister_Azira — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:37:45 +0100

22, unemployed, not at school and living at home. My parents are actually very okay with me living at home and really if they had their way I wouldn't leave until I got married (that's what they did). Huzzah, hispanic background/family/culture working in my favor here! That being said I have to help out around the house and errands (cookiing, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, etc) and sometimes I help them out at their jobs (Mom has a house keeping service and Dad's in landscaping/residental construction) while looking for a steady job. I also house/pet/baby-sit, help out parents clients, and other temporary jobs. So I basically have no money and every dime I do have is in the bank, not to be touched, and I cancelled my credit cards in order to not spend it and have something there. Bless my parents, they're rather understanding. And compared to my brother-who is also still living at home-I'm an angel. And I'm not getting involved in that fight. Dear lord, it's hard finding any type of job, and I need to get out of the house at times so I'm at the point that I'm thinking of volunteering for something just to fill hours up. At this point it's probably the only real way to get any experience in something.

Re: Still Living at Home

Phantos — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:05:14 +0100

I just moved back home to save money for a while... I haven't lived at home in 6 years. I'm embarrassed about it. Also, I've kind of forgotten how to live in the same house as my mother. We get along great. It's just that too much together time makes us get along less great.

Re: Still Living at Home

Hëradïn — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:02:24 +0100

I'll be moving out soon, but that is only because I've enlisted in the army, though when I finish my 4 years, I do NOT plan on moving back in with my mom. I'll be finishing my degree at chico state.

Re: Still Living at Home

Ismira_Daugene — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:18:23 +0100

I'm 24 years old, a college graduate, and still living at home. I have a part time job that, while it's giving me an average of 38 hours a week, still doesn't allow for me to move out what with college loans and credit card bills to pay. I lived away from home for about two and a half years during college, and even had my own apartment for one of those years, but now that I have to pay bills, it makes it very difficult indeed to move out. That and if I did move out, the city my job is in has average rent that's pretty damn high...

Re: Still Living at Home

saluk — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:24:09 +0100

27, moved out this year! I didn't pay rent, but I did contribute quite a bit to the family funds, so it wasn't a total mooch situation. After living in the same house for so long it did get to a point where I wasn't sure I would be able to handle it, but actually it was fine. No drama either way, and I still visit the folks very often for dinner or game night or whatever. If you have the right family and it's not a bad situation, I don't think there is any shame in it. Some cultures don't have "moving out" as a high value, but at least in America and places influenced by the same culture are all about independence, so it is considered important, and we vilify dependence. Personally I think some people should learn to be a bit more dependent :) And anyway, every situation is different.

Re: Still Living at Home

imlate — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:33:46 +0100

Me! I still live at home, I'm 20. Considering things going on right now (my dad has terminal Cancer and I know when he goes, my mom will NOT be okay to live alone), I won't be moving out for quite some time. But, that's okay, as I seriously hate change and things unfamiliar (which means I should be pushing myself into the world to get over it, but screw that!) lol.

Re: Still Living at Home

darkcity — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:58:51 +0100

I'm 23 and still at home (with no job...). But I get along pretty well with everyone (I have two little sisters still at home as well) and my parents are really cool about me being around while I work on getting my writing out there. (Seriously, I'm the luckiest person. My parents are amazing.) It's kind of irksome that I'm constantly broke, though. :/

Re: Still Living at Home

Fyrephere — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:12:44 +0100

21, living and never having not lived at home. I've not held down a job or gotten my drivers' license. Bleh.

Re: Still Living at Home

XRoryX — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:13:37 +0100

Me! I'm 20 years old and still live at home. First year of university I lived on campus and only lasted a semester before I came slinking back home. My parents are alright with me living at home as long as I'm a full time student, which I am. I don't have a job, since I like what little free time I have too much to tackle school and working. I'm sort of scared to move out of my house so I'm pretty happy living at home.

Re: Still Living at Home

braids — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:20:21 +0100

I'm twenty-five, still at home, and not by choice. I'm unemployed, so I can't afford to move out. Not that I could afford to move out when I was working, as my position was casual, so despite me getting regular hours there's no way I'd have ever gotten a place without rooming with someone. My parents are cool about it though, so I'm lucky in that respect. And I'm the quieter, tidier, less-problematic child anyway, lol. But I am itching for my own space like crazy! Hopefully life will pick up for me soon and moving out can finally be a possibility.

Re: Still Living at Home

Toastburner B — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:12:04 +0100

I'm 28 and had to move back home last year. I went to school (after two different attempts at college), and there was no way to pay both school and the cost of living with the job I have. I pay my parents what I can for rent and food, but considering how much school costs nowadays, that isn't much. Luckily, they are very supporting and understanding, which helps me feel a little less embarrassed/guilty that I had to move back in.

Re: Still Living at Home

boysloveboys — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:37:50 +0100

I'm from a culture where living with your parents isn't that frowned upon since children are expected to grow up and continue supporting their family very closely. Raised by them, then you help them... that kind of thing. But I notice that outside my home, regardless of culture, reality is just hitting everyone. Basically, it's really damn hard right now to not live with parents. There's just no way for a lot of us. And I think most people (especially the parents) realize that, because the idea of living at home doesn't seem to be as taboo as it used to be.

Re: Still Living at Home

Lobster Telephone — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:34:52 +0100

Yep. 20, still living at home here. I want to find my own place as soon as possible, but that's a bit complicated. I have a job but it's only part-time and doesn't pay much so there's no way I could afford living on my own. That and I have to decide what I want to do with my life, whether I want to continue studying where I am now, or go study something else in another country, or just move to another country without getting a degree. I'm really confused right now. Either way, I'm planning to move faaaar away as soon as I can. Not because I hate living at home or anything, it just feels like if I don't get away I'll never start living my own life.

Re: Still Living at Home

TinAK47 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:42:34 +0100

I'm twenty, in my last year of my BA, hoping to do postgrad, but I still live at home. My mom's house is ten minutes walk from uni, and she's fairly laid back, so it's been pretty great. I'm probably moving out next year, though, it's just starting to feel itchy XD

Re: Still Living at Home

Ravenwing — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:08:42 +0100

23, still living at my parents' house. I'd love to live on my own - I did, for my two years in college, and it was wonderful to be able to do anything you wanted without disturbing anyone else - but I don't have a steady job, thus no money, and thus no ability to pay the rent anywhere else. Jobs are thin on the ground around here, unfortunately.

Re: Still Living at Home

jamesmcamp — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:58:44 +0100

28 and moved back home last year. My dad was having a hard time and I gave up my job to help him a bit. All is getting better now so can un pause my life after this year is up! Sometimes find living at home tough but all in all not too bad. Looking forward to having my own place again soon though!

Re: Still Living at Home

mcnellism — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:32:38 +0100

I'll be 29 in about two months. I've moved out, moved back, moved out, moved back in with my folks...in synchronization with the economic lows. I pay them rent, and pretty much have the whole upstairs of our house. I used to feel poorly about it, but then I think about how people used to live. Homes were multi-generational. Though I plan to move out with some friends in about 6 months, I think there's a benefit to living with mulitple generations in the house, as adults. For one thing, my parents are in their 60's now and they have me around to help out with stuff. For another, they have knowledge that I haven't yet earned, due to their being older. Folks, don't feel badly if you still live at home with your parents, or if you've moved out and been forced to move back. The economy is changing the way people look at housing and frankly, no matter who is telling you to move out, it's not their life. If you're cool with it, and your parents are cool with it, stay until the time feels right for you to go. It's a lot of fun living on your own. But it can be horribly stressful too. What matters is doing what's right for you and yours. :)

Re: Still Living at Home

Charliee — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:36:09 +0100

23 and living at home. Have a full time job which doesn't pay enough to let me move out by myself, but am hoping to move out with friends by the beginning of next year otherwise I may go insane. I get on with my folks and its all laid back but I need my own space!

Re: Still Living at Home

gossamerwillow — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:36:32 +0100

I'm 26 and I both live with and work for my parents. I'll be getting married next year and moving out and I'm trying to find another job, though. I'm also thinking about going back to school for a Masters degree after the wedding.

Re: Still Living at Home

quietdove — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:54:41 +0100

I'm 24 years old, and I graduated college in May of 2010. Ever since then, I've been living with my parents. At first, after I graduated, I was naive enough to think that it'd be easy to get a full-time job and I'd be out of my parents' house in no time. As you can tell, though, that couldn't have been further from the truth. Between the fact that I have social anxiety and Asperger's Syndrome (both of which make it extremely hard for me to get a job at all) and the fact that very few places near where I live are hiring, it's really starting to seem to me like I'll never get a full-time job. Many of the people I went to high school with have jobs by now, which makes me incredibly jealous and feel like even more of a lazy bum than I already do. (I don't know whether the people I went to college with have full-time jobs, since I wasn't really close with anyone at my college. Well, actually, that's not completely true. I do know that my former roommate has a part-time job, but she's the only one that I know for sure about.) Basically, I spend all my free time lying around the house, eating my parents out of house and home, and hating myself. I've pretty much stopped applying for jobs at all, since I figure there's no point in that. Barely anyone wants to hire me, and the only job I've gotten since I graduated was a temp job at a college bookstore, and that led nowhere. Not only that, but I'm horrible at making a good first impression with people, so whenever I manage to land an interview, I always seem to say something stupid. In short, I hate this part of my life, and I want to go back to being a kid again.

Re: Still Living at Home

Lisiche — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:17:43 +0100

I just finished with grad school this month and am living at home. My pay isn't enough for me to live how I want on my own yet, so my parents, out of the goodness of their hearts and need for a dogsitter, are letting me stay around for a while longer. :) I'm starting to get the "GOTTA BE ON MY OWN" itch, but I'd rather be stable and comfy on my own instead of stressed out because I can't pay a unexpected repair bill and my rent.

Re: Still Living at Home

ThatSizGirl — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:19:03 +0100

I'm 20 and still living at home. Health problems mean I can't work, and wouldn't be able to live on my own anyway, also explains why I'm not at university. But hey, it's cheap!

Re: Still Living at Home

rachelwrites — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:41:46 +0100

I had to move back in with my mum earlier this year after living in a completely different city for three years. It is taking a bit of getting used to and I cannot wait to get my own place again (which will hopefully be quicker now that I am in a job).

Re: Still Living at Home

Moonlite Night — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:06:03 +0100

I'm 20, living at home, and in my second semester of community college. I tried to get a job over the summer. That failed, I haven't really tried again yet with school starting. I probably should. *sigh*

Re: Still Living at Home

BloodRoseAngel — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:12:58 +0100

A lot of people are still living at home in their twenties where I live. XD I just turned 20 (I was in the Teens forum last year - cry!) and I'm going to be living at home for the forseeable future, seeing as I currently only have a nine-hour work contract and could never even afford a deposit on a place. My next door neighbour currently has her son living back with her and he's in his late twenties. I'm such a scrounger, really, but my mum doesn't want me to leave any time soon, so it's ok! 8'D I'm not in college either, I finished in the June before NaNo 2010, so I have all the time in the world to work on my novels, and my mum's cool with it :D She read my 2010 novel and said she loved it, which was really shocking considering she usually HATES fantasy stuff. o_o Now she wants me to hurry up and rewrite it so I can get it published! XD

Re: Still Living at Home

catatone1 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:07:37 +0100

I just turned 25 on monday and am still living at home. I finally got a part time job after looking for over two years after getting my ba in music performance. But i'm also well aware that i'm not alone in this. Most of my mom's and my dad's co-workers who have children in their 20s have their children living with them. It's more of the rule rather then the exception here right now. No one can find jobs.

Re: Still Living at Home

wintertulip — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:08:58 +0100

I'm currently living at home, having dropped out of a phd program a few weeks ago and moved back home. I'm very much enjoying being back with my parents, having a whole house to spread out in rather than just one room (I had 6 years of student halls prior to this), and being in the countryside where I grew up again. I'm currently working from home and making (just) enough to cover the essentials were I to move out, so I'm hoping to move in with my boyfriend next month. I'm sort of excited and sort of scared about that.

Re: Still Living at Home

JCHendersoniscool — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:35:58 +0100

I'm 27 and I currently live with my mom (which is rather embarrassing but with the economy the way it is its difficult to get by). I live in the worst area of california job market-wise, and next year I plan on getting my AA degrees, moving on to a CSU and getting out of here like a cheetah on fire.

Re: Still Living at Home

Veela-Valoom — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:54:58 +0100

26 and I can't afford to move out of my parents house even though I have a full-time job. Okay I could probably afford and apartment but I couldn't take my 80 pound dog and we're kind of a package deal.

Re: Still Living at Home

DreadPirateRobyn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:04:06 +0100

Oh, all you young'uns... I'll turn 29 in November. And yes, I'm still living with my parents. Part of it is financial and part is due to health problems. I moved back home after I had to leave college (twice... long story). My younger sister lives here, too, and she's 24. As much as I love my very supportive parents, I'm determined to be well out of here by the time I hit 30. In fact, I plan to move halfway across the country within the next six months. I just have to make sure I'll have a job when I do it. :-/ @Veela-Valoom: I know the feeling about the pet issue. I have two cats. They go where I go and that's non-negotiable. Most landlords I've come across want to extort ridiculous monthly fees to allow me to keep them with me. One reason I don't have a dog yet (aside from the fact that my dad is terrified of them) is that I know finding a place to live with one, plus my cats, is going to be a nightmare. An extremely expensive nightmare.

Re: Still Living at Home

Mushmallow — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:41:33 +0100

I live at home, I do have a job but it's part time and right now what I am being paid isn't enough to keep me afloat if I was to move out. Cost of living has gone up as with everything else so it would be silly to leave home just to come back completely broke. Although living at home I still pay rent and do the basic things one would normally do, take care of the cat, do the washing, make dinner ect.

Re: Still Living at Home

Veela-Valoom — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:34:51 +0100

I don't even know if there's anywhere I COULD live with a large dog in my small town (short of buying a house and who can afford that?) Almost every apartment listing says "No pets" the one that I know of that allows pets has a weight limit so its just kinda like Hmmmm. And what annoys me is that my dog is a grown dog. She's not really destructive at all unless you could shedding which a carpet cleaning at the end of a rental could solve easily. She likes to sleep, cuddle and carry around her favorite stuffed animal. I didn't really *mean* to get a dog. When I moved back into the mother-in-laws suite at my parents house (where I've lived since high school) they'd put a neighborhood stray dog into the garage because she barked at night and kept the whole neighborhood up. But when both of us were living in the garage is was kinda hard not to fall in love with her.

Re: Still Living at Home

brittneybelle — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:04:06 +0100

I'm 23 and still live at home too. I work part-time at a bookstore and also help nanny and run my dad's business (my mom's a full-time nurse and my dad owns a local cabinet business) and I'm taking online classes this semester. So it's a pretty good deal for me. I love my family and we get along great. However I plan to move out next year when I get my car paid off. I really just want to get out there and meet new people.

Re: Still Living at Home

Belle of the Brawl — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:51:06 +0100

I'm 20, I'm in college with a part-time job, and I still live at home. I'm currently "grounded" for having too much fun last week (meaning I went out on two dates and spent a couple days with my friend from across the country when she came into town). Nothing special or even too, too much fun. When my parents got divorced, I agreed to stay with her as long as she needed me to help. Now she just wants me to stay to do chores and take care of my 15-year-old brother and our dogs since she started working full time. I'm transferring from a community college to a university in the fall so I can major in criminal justice, and I fully plan to move into a dorm if I can get the financial aid to where I don't have to take out too many loans. It's getting to be too much for me to deal with at home. Since I'm the girl, I'm supposed to clean up after EVERYBODY, including my uncle who just moved in, and he never does anything. At all. I'm sick of it lol. I'm not really saving any money, either, since I have to spend so much on my family. So, I really hope I can move on campus in the fall :)

Re: Still Living at Home

Sailor_Chibi — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:24:43 +0100

I'm 22 and a university grad of almost 1 year exactly. I still live at home. I'd like to move out, but I'm having a really hard time finding a job. I had a contract for six months that ran out at the end of April, and I've been having trouble since then. Living at home is not exactly a bad thing... Sometimes my parents annoy me, and they have difficulty with the fact that I'm not a child anymore, but I know it could be a lot worse. I'll be moved out by the end of the year, though.

Re: Still Living at Home

Fiona Rokkar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:33:32 +0100

I'm 21 and still living at home. I'd like to move out but I don't have a stable job yet. It wouldn't be fair to my parents to move out and still ask them to fund me. So I'll move out when I can support myself, hopefully in the next couple years. No one's pestered me about it, but it's always in the back of my mind... I live in a small town so my driving force is actually to move back to the city where I grew up and my siblings are.

Re: Still Living at Home

radioactivealchemist — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:56:42 +0100

I'm 24 and I still live with my mom. So does my 23-year-old brother. I've got a part-time job, but with my student loans as high as they are I can't afford both them and paying rent.

Re: Still Living at Home

gemllama — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:04:56 +0100

I graduated from college almost four years ago and now, at age 25, I'm still living at home. I was able to get a full-time job about six months after graduating, which I worked at for two and a half years, but even then I wasn't making enough to live on my own in this high-rent suburban area. I quit my job at the beginning of this year because it was dead-end, not remotely related to anything I wanted to do, and the work environment was so ridiculous and negative, it was killing me. I wanted to move on with my life, find a more appropriate job, move out and move to the city. Some opportunities came up after I quit that paid me and kept me occupied for a few months in the summer, but since then, I've been applying to jobs both in and out of state with no luck. I'm even registered with two temp agencies, which I've had success with in the past, but I haven't gotten anything from them. I have enough money to keep paying my bills till about the end of the year, but past that, I'm not sure what I'll do. Regardless, moving out is definitely not an option at this point. It's a tough time to be a twenty-something, I think, but it's good to know we're not alone or unusual. I'm definitely very antsy to get out on my own, and I tend to feel embarrassed that I'm still at home and unemployed when some of my peers are married and off in foreign countries or far-off cities with impressive-sounding jobs and their own apartments. But as someone else in this thread said, everyone's story is different, and for some of us, this may just be a slight detour we have to take to get to where we want to be.

Re: Still Living at Home

Nana — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:00:34 +0100

I'm 22 years old, and I'm living very happily at home with my mother! My two younger siblings rib me about being spoiled, but this is where I'm comfortable. My mom appreciates the company, we get along perfectly, and there's no practical reason for me to move out. I think it's silly to base your lifestyle on what society deems 'normal'. It would be financially and emotionally draining to move out, both for myself and my mother, and we've discussed the possibility of living together for years to come.

Re: Still Living at Home

sticky_t — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:55:31 +0100

Wow, now I don't feel so weird for still living at home! Lol. I'm 23 and still at home but slowly preparing to move out on my own. Didn't feel like I was ready until recently, but first I have to make sure I have more of a solid income (only have a couple part-time jobs at the moment). I'm with you guys, it's tough out there right now in a lot of places.

Re: Still Living at Home

polargriff — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:09:10 +0100

I am 27, and I am currently living at home with my parents and younger sister. Long story short: when my dad was re-activated by the military in 2003 and had to leave the family, I decided to slow down my college education to remain at home for my mom and younger sister (who was just starting high school). When my family moved to re-join my dad three years later, I had graduated with three Associates and could not figure out what bachelors to go for so my parents invited me to move with them. I worked full-time, but my parents did not ask me to pay rent or anything because, as my mom said, they were very grateful that I sacrificed my education for the family. So all of my paycheck goes directly into my savings. My parents are awesome, and we get along fantastically. I help out around the house... cooking, cleaning, whatever needs to get done. A year and a half ago, I finally discovered what I really want to do career-wise and began a bachelors program (online). Since the economy is as bad as it is, my parents encouraged me to remain at home until I graduate (next March!) and secure a new full-time job. My younger sister is also staying at home until she earns her bachelors (online). I love my parents!

Re: Still Living at Home

harmonyturtle28 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:00:11 +0100

I am so thankful for this thread! I'm 23, and still live at home. I hate how people make so many assumptions about me because I do. I am very ambitious, and just graduated college, but I really want to make the right choices about my job, and career. My main supporters are my family, and I don't want to live far away just for the sake of living on my own. I know that once I get a job it'll take away a good bit of time from writing, and pursuing a photography business. I know that it is still possible to pursue those things with a job, but I don't think it's necessary to sacrifice that time I could dedicate to it when I have the option of having it. I also know having a job won't automatically get me out of the house since the cost of living is so high. I feel like it's so tough to meet other people without them judging me about it though. I really enjoy being around my family though, and it seems like it would be lonely being away from them just so I can tell people I don't live here. I'm in such a transitional phase right now, and want to be here while that is happening. I feel less alone in my decision now to live at home, because it is also partially a choice I've made to for now. I do want to move out eventually, but not to just tell people that I have.

Re: Still Living at Home

PenGryphon2007 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:15:33 +0100

I've been looking at apartments, but nothing is going to happen until I get a full-time job with benefits and a salary that will allow me to live on my own. Once that happens, I'll be good to go. Until then, I'm working as a long-term substitute because I need teaching experience, and looking for a second job so I can increase my income. I want to be self-sufficient, but at least my parents are (mostly) understanding about the situation. So long as I strive to better myself, they have no problem letting me live under their roof. I'd just rather not get stuck here for the next two or three years.

Re: Still Living at Home

jesusfreakhobbit — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:11:22 +0100

I'm 22 and I was forced to move back in with my parents after school ended. I blew through all my extra money trying to stay in the area around my school until I found a job, but I was met with no luck and so here I am. I'm not a fan. I was homeschooled through high school, so being back home feels like I'm reverting to who I was before I went to school. It's like destroying four years of hard work that I put into creating my own person and living it. Highly frustrating. However, until I find a job I'm completely dependent on my parents for basically everything.

Re: Still Living at Home

sweet_disposition — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:47:05 +0100

20 years old and living at home. I was really unwell throughout most of my school years so I missed all my exams, and I've been trying to catch up and get my qualifications through adult learning courses for the last few years. It's going to take a while, and home is the best place for me to do it, so I'm not in any rush to leave! My younger brother and sister are still at home too, but will be leaving for Uni in the next few years. If I'm still at home when they've left, I'll definitely be feeling the pressure to move out. (Not from my mum, thankfully, who is really supportive and happy to have me here.)

Re: Still Living at Home

WritingBandit — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:10:14 +0100

I'll be turning twenty in a month's time, I'm working, and I still live at home. My 25 year old sister is living at home as well, with her daughter, and her fiance. And yet I'm the one being told every day that I can't live with Dad forever. I know I have to move out. And I want to. I just feel like I'm not ready yet. I don't really have any friends and I don't want to be living by myself. Especially when January comes and my full time job goes down to 20 hours a week. It's just annoying because if I freak out that I need to move out, I'm told to relax because I'm still young, and my sister has moved out and back in two or three times already. But then if my dad starts talking about selling the house, he says that I need to grow up and I can't live with him forever, and I need to grow confidence. Clearly I'm not being helped out here at all. (Other than the "still having a roof over my head" part.)

Re: Still Living at Home

Agent Pendergast — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:20:41 +0100

You all make me feel bad I am twenty six and still live at home. I don't drive and have never worked. My highest level of education was a high school diploma. I failed the classes I took at a community college. I am getting SSDI which took several years of getting turned down. I have Asperger’s syndrome and really bad anxiety as well as learning problems in general. I would like to work, but I need help. Sadly we have tried, and you either have to be worse off or just be average joe who just needs help getting back into work

Re: Still Living at Home

SVEllis — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 11:57:13 +0100

I'm a 22 year old and I'm living at home right now but 'still' doesn't apply. I lived with my ex in an apartment from August 2009-May 2010 and we lived together without a home from January 2010 to August 2010. Before that I lived with my mom and since my ex and I broke up (may 2010) I've been living with my dad. I make enough money that I could move out but the six months ish of being homeless destroyed my credit so it's hard to find a landlord who will take me.

Re: Still Living at Home

Sarahwilli308 — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:06:55 +0100

I'm 20, and I still live at home. Because I transferred schools & changed majors, I'll be putting 5 years in at university. So even though my credit hours match up to those of a junior, I'm still only a sophomore in my uni's nursing program. It really stinks because sometimes my parents grind on my last nerves, and I really wish I had more independence and space... but at the same time, rent, utilities, gas, groceries, books, supplies, everything is just so darn expensive! I applaud those 20-somethings that can keep an apartment while in school. I work at a book depository making minimum wage, and there's no way I could afford an apartment...

Re: Still Living at Home

JupiterStar — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:18:13 +0100

I'm 26 and I've been living at home for almost a year now. I was in Scotland for 2 years getting my masters and it not only totally wiped out my savings, but lack of being able to get a job that paid more than 200 quid a month left me massively in debt. So I'm here probably until next summer at the earliest, as I've only just started making enough money to cover health insurance, car costs, food, rent, and those things in the last month and won't have finished paying off my debt until January or so (assuming none of my private music students quit, they're like $100 a month apiece!). And honestly? I don't mind. I like living here right now, I missed my family while I was gone and I've got space for myself, my teaching space, and my pets without worrying about the cost just yet...plus it's kind of nice to have to downsize to fit into just my room. I didn't realize just how much crap I had before Scotland and if I'd gotten my own place I would have tried to keep it all; this gives me the chance to go through things, figure out what I really want/need and what others could use more, scale back on money spent on other stuff, things like that. Also, not having to worry about rent and utilities (the 'rents do still make me do my own food, but that's more for diet reasons) means I can focus on some things I've let slide in the last 5 years or so, like getting some minor health issues fully treated before they become worse, getting back into shape and dance training, getting back into lessons to make up for not practicing half of my instruments for two years...things like that. And it all really does add up. I'd rather spend a year and a half living at home at 26/27 and be financially stable and fully prepared fiscally, emotionally, and physically to move out than rush out the door with no savings, rusty skills in my primary income-making areas, health issues that I keep ignoring due to costs, and that constant feeling of stress and fear of screwing things up that dogged me as my money ran out while I was in Scotland. This is much, much nicer, and gives me a good chance to not only be safely able to take off in a bit but also to get back to pursuing my dreams and interests, not just a job that pays the bills.

Re: Still Living at Home

Uskaro — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:51:47 +0100

I'm 22 and still living at home. I don't mind much, but not being able to be fully independent chafes somewhat. Honestly though, it's a pretty decent situation. I have a stable job and a car. I've been able to completely pay my own way through college up until now, and the fact that my parents haven't helped pay for school directly makes it that much sweeter. No student loans, yay! Most of the time, I don't mind. But sometimes, I just want my own place. I want to be able to do all the things that having my own place would let me do. I want to learn how to cook, dang it! I can't learn to cook while I live with my parents! But, it's not so bad, really. As long as I pay my bills and whatnot, they're happy to let me stay here as long as I want.

Re: Still Living at Home

JenWales — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:27:19 +0100

I do. I have a man he's moved out but I can't afford to live with him. I don't want to live where he is located as I'll have to pay transport costs ot visist my family and he lives in a council property which is dark, gloomy anf falling apart

Re: Still Living at Home

LiebeLeben — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 23:20:53 +0100

Me! I want to move out. I may move out and go to a four year school if I have the money. If not, then I'll commute. But I really do not want to do that. It's been twenty years. I want out--just on my own terms.

Re: Still Living at Home

Katsuno_Hitomi — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:07:59 +0100

23 and still at home. Blame a combination of schizophrenia and laziness on that. I do want to move out eventually, but right now it just isn't feasible.

Re: Still Living at Home

Aunt_Dew — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:05:25 +0100

I escaped from home at the beginning of this year, only to end up back here when I got this virus that kept me sick for several months. Finally well again and looking for work, so hopefully I will be moving out again. I just find it hard living with my Dad these days, he wants to know about everything that is going on in my life, when I feel I am an adult now and I have the right to choose what I tell him. He still treats me like I am a teenager.

Re: Still Living at Home

rushingtide — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:06:16 +0100

I'm 23, still living at home, mostly to help support the family as my mom was unemployed for years since my last semester of college. So now we're stabilizing the family and I'm looking into my career options, graduate school and the like. I've been temping ever since and I SERIOUSLY hate it. But it's money and it helps. I'm really glad to see I'm not the only one here who is living at home, especially those older than me. It's kind of encouraging. Sometimes I feel like time is running out but I'll eventually get on my feet. :)

Re: Still Living at Home

Captain-Savvy — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:07:50 +0100

I'm still at home. I would have moved out already - except that it's just not financially possible. I've been working 2 jobs to make ends meet, and that's just helping with the family bills. There's no way I could survive on my own in this economy =/ BUT if our visa stuff goes through (please cross your fingers, send good vibes, or say a prayer!), my fiance' and I should be getting married within a few months. Together maybe we'll be able to get a place... I hope so, because it would be awkward to live with mom and siblings as newlyweds >_>u.....

Re: Still Living at Home

phantomlass — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:30:36 +0100

I am 21 and I still live at home :). One of the main contributing factors to this is the economy right now, it is just to expensive for me to try and get my own place. That and I started taking ill a few years ago and when I get really ill I can't walk in a straight line (booooo to all doctors *grumble grumble*) so knowing that someone is there is good :) although having a place to call MINE would be brilliant. :)

Re: Still Living at Home

slightly.sketchy — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:45:16 +0100

I'm 27 and I kind of live at home. My parents have like a one and a half family house (so a house with an attached apartment). When I was growing up, my grandparents lived in the apartment, but by the time I was in college they had both passed away. My parents were never going to rent the apartment out to a stranger, so I asked if I could take it over and they said they would like it if I did. So I have my own space with all the normal apartment things, but they are right here too. We help each other out. It works for us. Considering that I am not working full-time at the moment (yay economy!) and that I live in one of the most expensive cities in the country anyway, I consider myself pretty lucky. And we get along alright, even if we do occasionally drive each other nuts, so that's a bonus.

Re: Still Living at Home

paniwi — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:19:25 +0100

I'm 22 and still living at home. I always stayed because it was cheaper between working only a few hours a month and going to college. Right now I'm finishing college and have found a really good job as well. But seeing as how I am planning to do a master degree abroad next year it is better for me to save up the money now, instead of looking for a place now only to move out in 10 months or so.

Re: Still Living at Home

Jacquipuff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:48:57 +0100

25 years old here, living at home with my parents, grandfather, and sister, who turns 23 in two weeks. Our parents always said that we're welcome to live at home as long as we need to, though lately I think our mother is getting a bit frustrated at us (or at least me) always being around. Only a little bit, though. My boyfriend is 26 and also lives with his parents. His sister, who is the same age as mine, recently moved with her boyfriend into their own apartment (on the complete opposite end of the country, too), and I have to admit I am somewhat jealous. But my boyfriend and I decided long ago that it would be best not to move in together until we both had a means of supporting ourselves, and at the moment he doesn't have a job (but is in school), and I only just got a job a few months ago. Although said job is about an hour's journey from my house, and I am most certainly NOT a morning person, so I am sometimes tempted to see if there are any apartments near work, just so I could get an extra hour's sleep...

Re: Still Living at Home

Westwoods — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:47:54 +0100

I'm 23, and consider staying at home for now to be the responsible thing for now. My parents are awesome. They are have been encouraging all through college and last summer which I spent in Mexico. I think they were almost as homesick for me as I was for them! They were very supportive when I got sick and had to cancel my student teaching and stay home for the next six months. My big brother lives at home for now too, and my sisters were sort of in and out until they bought a house a couple years ago. I'm sure glad my parents let me stay here.

Re: Still Living at Home

poi_son_joy — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:11:35 +0100

I'm 24 and unemployed, but even after I get a job (knock on wood!) I probably won't be able to move out for a WHILE... Not only do I want to save up a good chunk of money to have a buffer when I do move out, instead of "mooching off my parents," I'm going to need to HELP my mom. My dad pisses me off because he refuses to even ATTEMPT to find a job (and he's been refusing for about a decade, to put this in perspective...), and money is really really tight because it's only my mom working. When I get a job she's going to really need my help paying bills, buying groceries, and paying for the various repairs the house and the van desperately need. Besides this making it a little harder to save up, I'd also feel incredibly guilty if I just up and left.

Re: Still Living at Home

chel.c.cam — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:18:33 +0100

I'm 25 and even though I have full-time employment (with benefits) I still can't afford even the crappiest of apartments, so I live with my mom. I have a BA in Journalism, but decided my heart was in fiction when I graduated. Now I work at a bank and write at night. I applied for any and every job I could. While writing is what I intend to make a career out of, right now I need money, so I don't really care what I have to do. It's only temporary. Nearly all of my friends have degrees and have had to move home. That's just the way things are now, sigh. A degree gets you nothing but great stories to tell and a lot of debt these days. Still, I wouldn't trade my degree. It taught me to be a better writer, and I wouldn't be where I am now without it.

Re: Still Living at Home

Sarcasmohjoy — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:22:29 +0100

I'm 21, not in college, working part time and I still live at home...I'm one of three incomes coming into the house though, so I contribute.

Re: Still Living at Home

rachelpea — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:56:18 +0100

26. Live with my parents. I think there was a time when this was all the norm, multiple generations living in the same home. The modern world's got us convinced that if we don't own things (our own car, our own appliances, our own house) we aren't worthy. Living with my parents has given me a lot of freedom that my friends who have mortgages or large rent payments every year don't have. I've been able to spend long periods of time traveling and experiencing the world. It's okay. We'll all be okay.

Re: Still Living at Home

flyergrad09 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:35:27 +0100

I'm 24 and back to living with my parents. I "moved out" (as much as you can move out when you start college) my freshman year of college, but spent the first two summers at home. By junior year, I had had enough, and managed to live and work on campus during the summers too. During my last summer at school (2009), I had two of my grandparents die within two weeks of each other. Actually, I had to move out of the dorm and back home in a hurry because of when my grandpa passed. So I lived at home for year. A very angry and depressed year (during which a third grandparent passed away!). Then I moved out last fall to go to grad school in NE Ohio, but after having people around me all of the time for a year, I got used to it, and I was desperately lonely at school. So when I came home for winter break last year, I just never went back to school. It worked out that most of my classes were 100% online, and the one that wasn't, only met in person three times the entire semester. Basically, I'm choosing to live at home. Financially, it makes more sense, since I spent over $9,000 for an apartment (where I couldn't have pets, candles, or anything larger than a twin sized bed!) that was TINY and my lease was just for the school year. Plus I'm happier now. I love being with my family. My mom is basically my best friend now that we're both adults, and my brother's at home too. Most of my high school friends live in the area, and some of my friends from undergrad have moved here too. I also have a wonderful boyfriend, and best of all, I have as much access to playing with the family rabbit as I want! I know that once I graduate in May, I'll have an insane amount of money built up in student loans, and I'm fully prepared to stay at home in order to get a start on paying those off.

Re: Still Living at Home

hootowl — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:03:25 +0100

27 and at home again here. After I graduated college, the job market flat-lined. I did manage to score a job in a bookstore in a coffee shop and got all the way up to the assistant manager position, but I did that living in the shady parts of the city (drug deals on my front step, shootings, robberies, red-light type of place) and no heating and air conditioning. I also turned around and went back to school to gain a skill. Needless to say, my parents did not know of my...adventures, otherwise there probably would have been some arguments. I did the full-time work, full-time student thing for three years before work started getting overwhelming, they were cutting what "raises" they were giving, and I got behind in school and then my roommates moved across the country. Left with the choice of dropping my studies before I finished or wind up on the street, I moved back home. It's all good though. Things could be worse. It took 6 months to catch up on schooling before I could advance and I've been doing so steadily. I'm hoping to get close to finishing school by January otherwise I won't get done till probably March. My parents have offered to let me stay until I finish school and then build up my savings again. I've been paying for school out of pocket so I have probably $50 to my name right now.

Re: Still Living at Home

bohemiangrl316 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:50:46 +0100

I'm 22 and I still live at home, it's just the most feasible option for me. I work part time and go to college full time, I'd never be able to support myself with the hours I take. My parents want me home, they want to help me save up as much money as possible so when it's time to pay my loans back and look for a real job, I'm not in more debt than I'll already be in from student loans. Plus, the university I go to is in partnership with the local community college so I can save money by living at home and taking classes on this campus. If I went to the main campus I'd have to live there and pay room, board etc. and I just don't want to do that. There's also more student teaching opportunities on this campus than the main campus because there's more local schools. A lot of my friends get on my case about moving out, but it's not really their business. I'll move out when I have the job and money to do so. Until then I'm comfortable and content to live at home and save up.

Re: Still Living at Home

Maneden — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:28:22 +0100

I am 25 and still happily live at home. It is not truthfully safe for me to go living alone in this area and since I work for my parents, from home, what better to do than fall out of bed, drag yourself through the kitchen (a traffic jam entails encountering more than one dog at a time) and into the Office. I would be a fool to go rushing out :D

Re: Still Living at Home

SassyCat — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:16:44 +0100

I'm 25 and still living at home. I've moved out twice in the past for university but I found managing money the side of it hard. At the moment am unemployed since leaving university and living with my parents. But most of my friends live at home so I don't mind living at home that much. But in the future I will move out when I save up. I find that it is very expensive to move out at the moment and that you have to have a lot of savings.

Re: Still Living at Home

Elluna Hellen — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:25:38 +0100

Yes, I do. I'm only 20 years old, and I live in the Netherlands, so the university I go to is not that far away. I also don't feel ready to move out.

Re: Still Living at Home

reine_margaux — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:12:40 +0100

I'm 23 and still living at home, mostly by choice. I'm in school 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, so getting a job besides that would be a pain. Feasible, but not fun. Plus finding an affordable apartment that will accept my dog would be difficult. So since I get along very well with my parents I just don't really see the point of moving out, right now. The only potential reason would be to move closer to school, but I'll be done with that program in about a year and the school is in a really sketchy neighbourhood, so the appeal isn't really there. No one I know has ever really bugged me about living with my folks. Then again I know a lot of people who, for various reasons, didn't move out until they were 25 or older. If the situation is good for everyone involved, I don't see any problem with staying with your folks until you're older.

Re: Still Living at Home

S.A. Hollow — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 07:10:06 +0100

I'm 22, still in college and still living at home. I always want to move out but with money tight (due to paying my own tuition), it's not possible right now. On top of that, I left my full-time work back in July so I could return to school full-time and to afford that, I have to stay at home. I also learned last year that it's just not in my best interest to live alone until I can accept things and stop stressing or I can find a roommate that I feel comfortable living with. Besides, free room and board, food, etc. Who can pass that up? :P

Re: Still Living at Home

Liniya — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:30:17 +0100

Twenty-two, unemployed, still lives at home. Like it's been mentioned, it's free room and board, plus food, plus I can treat this house like I'm renting or it's my own as I pop in and out at random hours of the day. That, and I get the house to myself for at least five months of every year, so it's sort of even exchange. That free room/board/food is made up by the fact that I house-sit and do other stuffs doing those five months.

Re: Still Living at Home

SVEllis — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:39:14 +0100

I posted way back 2 weeks ago here but I'm posting again. Does anyone else go absolutely insane living at home? I think that since I had lived on my own for as long as I did, coming back home and not being 'the head of household' is really getting to me.

Re: Still Living at Home

arah4ever — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:05:05 +0100

I'll be 26 this NaNoWriMo and I'm back living at home. I spent five years at a University across the country and moved back a year ago after I graduated. I'd planned to be out by now, but it took me a while to get a job so I didn't have much of a choice and my family drove me nuts in the meantime. Now I have four jobs and I'm almost too busy to care if I live at home. My parents don't charge me rent, just ask that I help around the house; my dad likes having me around; and I haven't found a place to my liking because everything around here is too expensive or too far from my jobs. My house is pretty full with me, my parents, two younger sisters (both in college), and three pets so sometimes I still want to pull my hair out; my brother's moving back in in December at which point we'll reach capacity overload. I had planned to move out at that point, but my parents are trying to set him up a room in the basement rather than kick me out, so I may just stick around for a while more while I build up my savings so I can eventually buy a house.

Re: Still Living at Home

Head Fox — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:50:29 +0100

I haven't even come near rock bottom yet, but things are trending noticeably downward. (I'm going to complain a lot now.) I've been 26 since April, and haven't been able to find ANY legitimate work — not even of the minimum-wage Wal-Mart McJob variety — for over 2 years now. This is in spite of a recent college degree, a fairly strong work history for someone my age, the presence of marketable skills, and decent interview performances... but I haven't even been offered an interview in about 9 or 10 months. I'm doing everything right. Maybe it's because the hiring managers can't immediately figure out how to pronounce my first name. I don't know. I almost don't even care anymore. There is very little reason to hope. Technically I'm not "still" living at home... I had to move back this spring after living on my own (mostly on food stamps, and expired food-shelf canned food when the food stamps run out for the month) since 2005. I've eaten out of dumpsters and slept in apartments with no heat (in January, in northern Wisconsin — and no, I'm not kidding), and still seemed to manage. I've never been late with rent, never had my electricity turned off, and never missed a student loan payment. It was hard, but I could deal with it. Then, suddenly, it started getting steadily harder. But this spring, I finally ran out of options and had to come crawling back to my parents, who, VERY generously (but embarrassingly), have taken over my student loan payments from me, and my medication expenses, and basically everything except my cigarettes and my dog's food and vet bills. Never in my life have I felt such an intense combination of gratitude and humiliation. And now...? That chronic condition that I *thought* was fixed by the surgery my Medicaid covered 2 years ago — it's coming back. There's no denying it anymore. And I don't qualify for coverage in this state, so I'm... just going to have to deal with the pain, I guess. My parents' income may be in jeopardy, and they may have to move within the next year, which means I'd either become homeless or have to move with them. Oh, and the move back necessitated that my partner of 5+ years and I become long-distance "lovers". We've done temporary long distance before, but this time it's not going so well for us. Y'know. Just to ice the cake. ...Ok. I'm done whining.

Re: Still Living at Home

sjpline — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:52:29 +0000

I'm 24 with a Master's degree and I still live at home. It's nothing to be ashamed of, after all I have to pay back my student loans before I can even think about saving money from my measly paycheck in order to move out. My parents are 100% behind me on this. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one with these issues. Hopefully, for all of us, the economy will pick up soon, or we'll all get our novels published and become the next J.K. Rowlings :).

Re: Still Living at Home

RJA — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:47:10 +0000

24-year-old, college student and living at home. Still struggling with ADHD, just recently diagnosed, having quite some trouble studying with it. I just don't know how to manage a household as well. Though my homesituation isn't ideal. I live with my mum, who's struggling with an alcoholaddiction. But at the moment we're getting by with the two of us. I'm doing my thing, she's -unfortunatly- doing her own thing. And I'm able to focus on college.

Re: Still Living at Home

writinc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:21:55 +0000

I'm 23 and still living at home. I've just finished university and am looking for full time work, but even then I'm among those wanting to save up a bit to have that buffer for when I do move out, plus there are things like furniture to buy. At times living at home drives me mental. I'm able to do my own thing pretty much of the time, and get along with my family. The only problem is the house is now shared with my father's girlfriend, who I don't always get along with. Before that I was happy to live at home until I could save up quite a bit of money, now my threshold to move out is much lower.

Re: Still Living at Home

rei_nocturna — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:38:19 +0000

I'm 25, unemployed, and living with my parents. I'd graduated with my master's in early childhood education and moved down here when I'd gotten a job that was close by, but then I quit because I had surgery and I wanted to explore the world and see what I was really meant for. It's quite a struggle. I know that we benefit because of "free room and board" (I did assist in paying bills), but I have very critical and judgmental parents and I know it's getting to that point where they need me to find a job and be productive since i'm mostly healed. Except cold shoulders and passive-aggression aren't quite encouraging. Hm... Somehow, we'll all get through this.

Re: Still Living at Home

Amriah — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:04:40 +0000

My husband and I recently moved back to Texas to live with my mom. California wasn't working out for us -- you want to talk about a lack of jobs! Texas hasn't been too much better, but at least it's inexpensive. We pay for food for all three of us and do all the household chores because we honestly can't do anything else at this point. It's beyond frustrating, being married and forced to live with your mom. But we're hoping that once we get through college that more jobs will become available to us. Here's hoping!

Re: Still Living at Home

tree of a different color — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:21:11 +0000

I am 24 and had to move back home with my parents. I just graduated in May...well August. I had to give up my apartment and come home. Now I am sleeping on the couch and mooching because I have not found a job yet. Oh well. Now I have something new and fun to do!

Re: Still Living at Home

mirandakane — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:41:10 +0000

I am 21 and still living at home. Though I am looking for a job so I can get some money and move out on my own. I also plan to start college sometime as well.

Re: Still Living at Home

DaxBenny — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:36:06 +0000

I live with the rents for a few reasons the main one being that I'm able to put what would be rent money elsewhere. All of my student loans are nearly paid off just from moving back in for a few months and I was able to pay for this semester in full without loans. I only have a few more months of a "free" ride as my parents are moving out of the area and I'll be staying. Note that free is in quotations as I'm more or less a slave while prepping the house to sell. Beyond that I'd sooooo much rather live on my own. I hate roommates because I've had terrible terrible luck with them so chances are I'll be living in a studio apartment somewhere which suits me just fine.

Re: Still Living at Home

LuckyXIII — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:55:05 +0000

I am 26 and still live at home. I work full time and give my parents rent money every week so I am helping out. I just can't afford to move out and get an apartment, not with the bills I already have. If there was some miracle that I could afford rent, I would not be able to afford utilities and food etc.! My parents are not pressuring me to move out but I'm sure they'd like the place to themselves eventually. I need to save up for an apartment but need a new car first, but having very bad impulse buy, it's hard for me to save up lately. I do plan on working on saving up so I can get my own place. I have two rooms now but I need more space. The problem will be finding a place that allows cats because I REFUSE to move anywhere that won't let me take my cat with my. My mom understands that too. After all, would you move and leave you child behind? My cat is my child <3 =^.^=

Re: Still Living at Home

thatgirlnamedsuz — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:51:02 +0000

I'm 26 and married. While not living at home, both sets of our parents help us out a lot. His family is known to randomly give us money, even when we tell them we don't need it. I think it's mostly because his mom worries we're starving or something. Things get tight from time to time but it's really not bad and we've had it way worse in the past. My parents (dad in particular) help less frequently but in a much more spectacular way. Until recently they were paying the insurance on my car. I almost had to fight my dad to pay it myself. They also pay for all 4 cell phones (basic plans) even though my name is on the main line. Dad got rid of their second phone line and their long distance plan which was more expensive than paying the cell phone bill. Our area is experiencing a major population/job increase but the housing has been unable to keep up. If you're lucky enough to find a place to live it's going to cost at least double what it did 3 years ago. We were living in a very... interesting... mobile home in an equally interesting trailer park (meth addicted neighbor drunkenly driving into our house at 3 am? Check!) But rent was super cheap and I could walk to the college so we dealt with it. My dad offered to buy us a manufactured home (aka new mobile home) and put it on a lot in a nicer park. We were supposed to get the shed and deck done but didn't have the money/speed to get it finished so they did that too. We've offered to pay rent to them, but dad refuses. Mom wants us to pay rent but gets overruled, apparently. We do pay the rent on the lot itself which is ridiculously cheap. Hopefully, someday soon, we can start taking over more of the things they are paying for or pay them back for what they've done. I feel pretty guilty about how much they've done for us. Kind of like I'm not a "real adult" because they've helped us out so much.

Re: Still Living at Home

Karret — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:28:38 +0000

Me! And unlike you, I'm not even cool enough to be at college. -coughslazyandbrokecoughs- XP Ah well~

Re: Still Living at Home

Kitazawa — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:42:49 +0000

I do . . . rent is expensive and when we tried to estimate a budget I wasn't going to be able to make it on my current job's pay :/ (Which isn't even bad by current standards . . . . )

Re: Still Living at Home

LadyMage — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:07:56 +0000

Yep, right here. I have a full-time job and am trying to start up a graphic design business. unfortunately, I don't make enough at either to pay for crippling student loans AND my own apartment, so I'm living with my mother. My salary does, however, let me pay my own bills and otherwise support myself...it's just a choice between living solo and paying student loans. The loans won.

Re: Still Living at Home

whoaJeffrey — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:55:08 +0000

I'm 21 and living at home while I go to college. Of the people I personally know in our age group, just about everyone who isn't going away to college is staying at home while they go to college, and even if they're not, they're at home until they figure it all out. My dad doesn't care as long as I pull my weight around the house, which is a great trade off on having to pay every house bill by myself.

Re: Still Living at Home

ALynnL07 — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:23:14 +0000

Wow, I thought I was a lone when I feel like the only person in my classroom still living at my parents' house! I'm a senior in college, studying to be a teacher, and I hope that I'll get a job in my city so that I can move out (the only reason I'm staying is because of...economic reasons. I don't have the means to support myself right now but I hope that will change.) My folks and I have a pretty good relationship anyway. They don't really mind me staying because I help out when they're at work, and I do most of the cooking. :)

Re: Still Living at Home

ALynnL07 — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:24:38 +0000

Gah. I wish for an edit button too. I'm 22.

Re: Still Living at Home

Ellebelle — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:55:14 +0000

22 here and graduated college last May. Still jobless and am nowhere close to being able to afford living on my own, so I'll probably stay with the parents until that changes. At first it was kind of a difficult adjustment since I lived on my own all throughout college, but I've since gotten used to it and don't really mind it at all. I just feel bad freeloading, but unless I want to live on the street there isn't really anything else I can do. I cook/clean take care of other errands so my parents say they enjoy the free labor haha.

Re: Still Living at Home

Leizal — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:35:32 +0000

My boyfriend and I are 23, and live with his parents. If we ever hope to own a home, we can't be paying the £500 or £600 in rent that we'd need to have as much space as we do at his house (we've got an annexe). I don't see any shame in living at home but that's because almost all of my friends still do as well.

Re: Still Living at Home

harrowing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:14:28 +0000

People pester me about moving out too. I don't get it. I'm 20 and only halfway through my undergrad years. I live quite close to my college's campus, my parents don't charge rent, and I haven't had a curfew or any serious rules since I was 15 because my parents trust me. I don't have to share a room with anyone and I get along well with my parents. I have no major incentive to move out, and for now, I think that still living at home is a smart choice. I'm saving a lot of money and stress. Almost all of my friends have moved out in some sense, though...whether they have independent apartments, various on-campus housing, etc. They sometimes try to make me feel weird about living at home, but I'm honestly quite happy with it for now.

Re: Still Living at Home

CB_Young — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:38:47 +0000

I'm 26, have a job, could easily afford my own place (I help out with bills and the like), but I live with my parents out of choice.I moved out to go to school when I was 18, and back in when I was 25. They had more space in the house than they needed; and I don't like living alone, but tend to have bad luck with room mates. It's a great arrangement.

Re: Still Living at Home

Porsche_DeadEyes — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:46:51 +0000

I'm 22, and doing my post graduate degree in marketing, and unemployed, living the good life off my parents. But I know that my father, who is overly protective of me wouldn't have it any other way :P I love being at home, I actually was diagnosed with Social Anxiety, so I was like, tsh, knew that already man. I don't want to leave, more like I don't want to leave my parents or my sister. In my country it's normal for young people to live with their parents until they get married, and since I'm not going to get married, I might be there for a while O_O Since I'm home all the time, and unemployed, I spend lots of time watching anime, studying and just chilling with my Dad ^^

Re: Still Living at Home

alicerabbits — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:30:36 +0000

I'm still with the rents. Unemployed. Maybe this novel will be my big break and I can move out. :)

Re: Still Living at Home

TheWoWExp — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:12:58 +0000

I'm 23 and still live with the 'rents. I'm one of those people that if tossed out on my own, I wouldn't be able to make it. And I'm fine with that, really. When the time comes, and if I'm ready, I'll move out and (possibly) in with another person. Being a at a place by myself doesn't sound too enjoyable to me...seeing as I'm more of a paranoid child and would like to have someone nearby.

Re: Still Living at Home

Angryman — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:17:41 +0000

Yeah, I'm 22 and I still live at home. I don't have my driver's license, so I'm that more dependent on my parents. At my place, we have several animals (most of which are alpacas), so I have to stick around and make sure they get fed. My grandmother lives here as well, and she needs help getting around, so I also help by getting her lunch and whatever she needs. So really, I CAN'T move away, no matter how much I may want to.

Re: Still Living at Home

CastleCat — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:10:23 +0000

I'm 21, at home, with 3 jobs, a car payment, car insurance, and a massive amount of medical debt/bills. I WISH I could go back to school to move out or just plain move out on my own. But I can't afford it with my circumstances. So with the 'rents it is. Screw waiting till some guy on a white horse marries me and takes me away logic. I don't need a guy to free me, i'll do it myself. Hence the three job thing.

Re: Still Living at Home

Beastfire — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:04:38 +0100

24, living at home. The hope was to get a job and use all the money from that to pay off student loans, without worrying about rent. I had been in Philadelphia before this, and moved back to the boonies. Was that ever a mistake. As it turns out, there aren't too many jobs around here that I can get. I'm sincerely hoping that the fact that I have a Bachelor's Degree just kinda scares people off, but that's giving myself too much credit. If this one job interview works out tomorrow morning, though, I'll get to move out to a different part of the state. A more populated one. And there's also the paranoia about learning how to drive...kinda comforting to find I'm not the only one dealing with that.

Re: Still Living at Home

Lady Ebonique — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:57:59 +0100

I'm twenty-two am living at home and don't have my license. All my family members keep bugging me about driving, but it doesn't work cause I'm way to stubborn. I'm not afraid, just hate tests and don't want to go to the eye doctor before taking the test. It's awesome to see that I'm not the only twenty-something-year-old who doesn't drive; I think horse and buggies should come back into fashion! ;)

Re: Still Living at Home

Harlow — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:11:13 +0100

Don't ever feel bad about being at home, guys. I'm 25, I have my MSW, and I've been in an apartment - WITH A ROOMMATE - for around a year. I lived with my grandparents for about 9-10 months while I was in grad school. I'm grateful for them because they supported me, paid my bills, paid pretty much everything, but I wanted to get out BADLY because my social life suffered. I do, however, still have loads of money in student loan and medical bills. So don't feel bad or feel scared or any of that. You'll get out eventually. The economy won't stay crappy forever.

Re: Still Living at Home

jordan-leeann — Sun, 20 May 2012 01:14:17 +0100

I'm 20 years old and still live with my parents. I feel bad about it, since we live in a really tiny house with three other kids besides myself. I know I should be hightailing it out of here, if only to make it easier on my parents space-wise, but with paying for my own college, paying for my car, and working three days a week most of the time since my schedule doesn't allow for working on the days when I go to classes, it's not really feasible. I try to make myself feel better by telling myself that it's not as though I loaf around the house doing nothing and being a total drain on my family - I work and go to school and pay my own way for things - but it doesn't work a lot of time.

Re: Still Living at Home

SavedbyGrace — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:13:24 +0100

I do, for many reasons. >.> I don't have my license yet, though it'd be nice to have it I'm absolutely terrified of driving, especially to big cities and the like. I can't afford to live somewhere else, and well, everything is connected, aye? And because of my job and the hours and such, I cannot go to school and haven't found any good 'online' courses which catch my interest, not to mention there's nothing much but truck driving, nursing, and teachers jobs in this area. Oh, and collectors! But my parents are ... livid? No. Firm on my not becoming a collector. Thus no getting a different job. So, yeah, at home, paying rent. It's not usually so bad, except when I have to ask someone for a ride. That part is hard.

Re: Still Living at Home

britthatsit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:08:17 +0100

I do and for the same reasons. Ditto on the parents being 100% with me on my decision, but that's because my dad REALLY hopes I'll pursue a career as a singer...not going to happen. He's ok with me wanting to write and wait on my boyfriend to propose marriage in December though :}

Re: Still Living at Home

LenaLunacy — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:27:01 +0000

I used to live at home, up until about 6 months ago, but I now live with my partners parents. It makes financial sense as we want to save money for a down payment on our own home so I don't mind.

Re: Still Living at Home

Sam111111 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:33:22 +0000

I still live at home, but am moving out in a bit. Only move out when you marry? That's a bit harsh. But it's all where you have to move, what you have to do, etc. I'm 23 and about to finish my degree so I have a tiny bit of stability there. Maybe.

Re: Still Living at Home

mjmarlieu — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:22:05 +0100

I understand this. Lived in Sweden last year. Just got home late this summer. Now looking for a job, but those seem harder and harder to find these days if you don't have 2+ years experience in the field. How are people supposed to get a foot in the door these days? I would recommend doing it while in college. Get an internship or something. Need to find out if I can get one, but doubt it. Not being a student and all...

Re: Still Living at Home

Star Trek Fan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:22:54 +0100

I don't have a job either. I'm hoping I might be able to get one soon, but it depends. So you're not the only child living at home! I am ... no siblings. I never knew my only (older) sister. She died before I was born. Sometimes I wish I hadn't been an only child ... but I am. Its really irritating when family members bug me about moving out. My dad's parents support me, but then, one of my uncles is in his mid 30s and he still lives with my grandparents(he's in a wheelchair though, so he has an excuse.) Its a few people in my mom's family that annoy me so. My aunt, Mom's brother's wife, started ragging me about going on a date a few years ago(I had just turned twenty.) It got to the point where I finally told her to shut up. Maybe she thought that since she and my uncle, Dad and Mom, and Mom's parents had all married before they turned twenty, I should have as well. So what? I don't care. Just because they did doesn't mean I have to.

Re:

Psychickid — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:30:51 +0100

Ditto here, just finished at Lynchburg College and so I am working weird places but I do have a job interview tomorrow so if I get it, I get more money and a job I actually want but it might cut into my writing. Oh decisions....

Re: Still Living at Home

FrankieCroooow — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:28:44 +0100

Jobs around my area are pretty scarce, so it's pretty hard for me to find one. Which is the main reason that I don't have one. I have two older sisters, one of which lives in Georgia, the other lives here at home too. No one really bugs me about living at home, even friends. Most people think it's great that my parents are okay with me still living here. Once I figure out what I want to do about school and work, and whatnot, I'm going to move out. But, for right now, living at home is the best option.

Re: Still Living at Home

True Blue Fool — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:07:25 +0100

Preaching to the choir. I have a BA in psychology. You can't get a job with a BA in psychology, trust me. I interviewed for case manager positions, recruiter positions, HR positions, call center positions, assistants in group homes and adult day centers. The only job I was able to get? Part-time receptionist. I don't think I'm leaving my parents' house anytime soon, and it's driving me nuts. My older brother got laid off back in January, so he's been living back at home with us and he doesn't do shit. When I didn't have a job, I cooked and cleaned and did errands to earn my keep. Now my parents still expect me to do that, and I'm just kind of like, talk to your unemployed child, please.

Re: Still Living at Home

Adaptation — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:09:44 +0000

This is pretty much me, except instead of web design it's English, and instead of web designer it's editor.

Re: Still Living at Home

Amriah — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:48:27 +0000

I'm in a somewhat similar situation. I'm around 20, will be 21 next month. My husband and I lived with his family for a while, but that was ridiculous, so we had to move in with my mother. Finding a job these days seems to be next to impossible if you have less than two years of experience in whatever field you're trying to get into. It's crazy. But hang in there with his family. I know it can be pretty crazy.

Re: Still Living at Home

Psychickid — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:32:53 +0100

Have you thought about getting your Masters? I hear that is the only way someone with a psychology degree can get a job.

Re: Still Living at Home

lilibel — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:05:18 +0100

Just to put things in perspective, I never had a job before I did my third year at uni as an apprenticeship. I was 21 and it was only for a year (and I was living at home and the money was basically spending money). Don't feel bad about feeling spoiled ^^

Re: Still Living at Home

britthatsit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:23:10 +0100

NSW, AUS I have missed everything else /goes back to read post

Re: Still Living at Home

britthatsit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:26:09 +0100

I feel for you - I had to make my own little semi-fort in the dining room to sleep; there's 6 of us in a 3 bedroom townhouse and my brother has a LOT of instruments and my sister has a baby, so I don't need my own room.

Re: Still Living at Home

Xocoatldreams — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:55:13 +0100

Exactly! I am over 30 and still live at home. I pay a third of the rent, buy my own groceries (and some of theirs) and lend my mother money when she needs it. My parents don't mind much since it does save them a fair amount of money a month that could go to more important things (like health cost and such). And I'm there to play chauffeur so my mother doesn't have to drive herself to work. I was going for teaching (until I ran out of money for school o.O) and your situ is something that worries me. Will I actually be able to teach?

Re: Still Living at Home

Lisiche — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:15:31 +0100

Network. I only got the job I had because my Dad plays craps with a guy whose son needed an accountant on the cheap. You can get around the 2+ years of experience if you just ask around and have low expectations for your starting pay. No guarentees, of course, but I threw resumes to the wind for three years but, after talking to my Dad's gambling buddy, got a job in a few months.

Re: Still Living at Home

Phantos — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:09:42 +0100

Oh, right. I'm 23, and I graduated about a year and a half ago. So... pretty much the same story as everyone else around here.

Re: Still Living at Home

boysloveboys — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:38:12 +0100

(totally off-topic, but I love your icon XD)

Re: Still Living at Home

True Blue Fool — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:19:31 +0100

Yes, it really is. But even with my Master's, I can only be an LPC (licensed practicing counselor), and nobody hires LPCs. So I'd need to go back for my PsyD. And I decided after I graduated that that really wasn't a route I wanted to go. I think I loved learning about psychology more than I love doing something with it. Now, I'm considering pastry school.

Re: Still Living at Home

Psychickid — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:22:26 +0100

That sounds awesome! You should totally go for it cause hey, everyone loves cake! Good luck!

Re: Still Living at Home

KeraLoves2Write — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:33:18 +0100

Why not an MA in Social Work? Depending on what you'd like to do. With a SW degree you can do all kinds of stuff. That's why I switched from BA in Psych to a BS in Human Services (getting a MSW). I want to be a therapist or counselor or social worker. After like three years I think you can apply for a LCSW license and you can practice on your own with that :)

Re: Still Living at Home

britthatsit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:40:51 +0100

That's what I was doing before my sister got knocked up, took the heat off me - as the elder sibling still living at home - and began babysitting. So through none of my own doing I am able to live with them rent free and bill free and drama free. I used to hate myself for these things, too....for a lot more than reasons than ones related to jobs (or lack there of) and/or the economy. ...being a kid was awesome...

Re: Still Living at Home

Elyndra — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:53:49 +0100

I’m in the same boat as you. I’m 25 and because of my illness I can’t do any of that either. Luckely I have very understanding parents.

Re: Still Living at Home

boysloveboys — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:17:37 +0100

It's this reason a lot of us struggling in school aren't really that down about it. We know that when we finally do graduate, we'll probably all still be in the same situation. -__-

Re: Still Living at Home

britthatsit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:55:01 +0100

Riverside? I bet. I have a friend working in NoHo that lives there - that's a hellavah commute :/ I'm in LA, it's terrible and we're behind Riverside AND Sacramento...I can't even imagine. according to this site :3

Re: Still Living at Home

mcnellism — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:19:08 +0100

I hear ya--until a recent temp job I had, I was freelancing. Working a lot, but people never seemed to want to pony up the cash. So I was broke and found chores-related ways to help out my folks. By the way, love your icon. I used to have a husky...they're awesome dogs.

Re: Still Living at Home

britthatsit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 05:03:57 +0100

[quote=Nana] I think it's silly to base your lifestyle on what society deems 'normal'. [/quote] qft

Re: Still Living at Home

JupiterStar — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:21:58 +0100

Oh, that's so sad that people act like that when it comes to hiring! I guess that's never something I thought about... :( A thought; have you tried any work-from-home stuff? I used to have really serious social anxiety myself and found it was better when I was either not dealing with people face-to-face or when I was on my own home turf, so...maybe that might help with dealing with that?

Re: Still Living at Home

Unoriginality — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:00:48 +0100

I feel for you. I'm twenty-seven, live at home with my spouse (we got shoved out of our old apartment in Texas, bailed on the economy down there and headed for my home state of Nebraska with absolutely no resources), and while she has a job, I do not. I suffer schizoaffective disorder, which comes with high anxiety and a buttload of other symptoms that make work impossible for me. We're working with a lawyer to get me on SOMETHING, either SSI or SSDI, either one, but it's going to be slow-going. I also failed out of college- university for me, but eh- twice over, actually. Yeah, I gave it a second shot and couldn't make it then, either. Thankfully, we're getting a roommate in March, and that'll allow us to afford our own place. It's a friend of ours, who's a darling, so it'll be cool.

Re: Still Living at Home

slightly.sketchy — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:40:40 +0100

You've got nothing to be ashamed of! There are a lot of different roads we can end up on in life and you have definitely had some difficulties thrown in your way and you're right, there is not as much help out there as there needs to be. In the US especially, we tend to think working is the be-all and end-all of existence, but that is not the only way to make a difference in the world or the lives of others. You matter, just the way you are right now, and no matter what you end up doing in life, you always will matter. I hope that things start working out in a way that makes you happy. PS- I <3 your icon!

Re: Still Living at Home

Hobbit Missa — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:37:26 +0100

I'm right there with you! I don't have my license and live in a little redneck-y town near the most poverty-stricken city in the country. Not many jobs available, so I'm clinging desperately to the two barely-over-minimum-wage, part-time ones that I have. You should check out www.apus.edu for online courses. They're cheap and there's a lot of programs available.

Re: Still Living at Home

LAAVulpes — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:16:15 +0000

I know exactly what you're going through. I don't have my license yet, because no one ever had the time to teach me so.... I can't afford to go anywhere else. I can't afford school because my job is min. wage and my hours are getting chopped into tiny bits in the off season. i live in a small, small town that has very few people younger than 40. Luckily my mom allows me to live here for free ... though my little brother isn't happy about it. I keep waiting for the day he realizes that it's not as easy as it looks getting out of your parent's house.

Re: Still Living at Home

hootowl — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:05:09 +0100

actually, when i say "assistant manager" i mean "lead." whatever.

Re: Still Living at Home

ModestTreasure252 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:16:07 +0000

I live in a redneck-y town too and I'm terrified of driving.

Re: Still Living at Home

britthatsit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:17:34 +0100

And my two younger siblings and my niece are also living with my parents. So my parents don't really bug me about marriage/grandchildren/etc. anymore; nor does the cost bug them as I don't ask for much. A roof, at least one meal a day and a place to sleep. My dad was nice enough to buy me a netbook for NaNo this year which almost made me cry :}

Re: Still Living at Home

arah4ever — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:08:20 +0100

Absolutely, I actually miss buying my own groceries and there's no point making plans because everyone else's schedules always conflict and I have to cancel last minute.

Re: Still Living at Home

blackshellbowser — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:34:48 +0100

Ditto on buying my own groceries. My diet is different from my family's so it took a little getting use to. Plus I'm a bit introverted but my mom's more extroverted so we can clash on that lol.

Re: Still Living at Home

rei_nocturna — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:35:37 +0000

You're absolutely not the only one. It only reminds me that I need to move out...

Re: Still Living at Home

DaxBenny — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:47:15 +0000

Bah I realized I didn't put in my age. I'm 24 and have been back home for about a year. *wishes for an edit button*

Re: Still Living at Home

rei_nocturna — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:02:09 +0000

I think my parents are starting to pressure me to move out--if only so that I have a job again and would actually be productive [in their eyes]. And hey, my cat is my child, too. XD So I completely understand!

Re: Still Living at Home

Star Trek Fan — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:43:44 +0000

It wasn't my parents who said that I couldn't move out until I marry. I made that decision myself. I couldn't support myself independently right now anyway. I don't have a real job, just a volunteer one. I'm still in school, and I'm also hearing impaired and have eye problems, which makes it somewhat difficult for me in the real world. I intensely dislike driving as well; I have my license, but I don't drive that much. With money so tight and all the other stuff, living at home is the best thing for me right now.

Re: Still Living at Home

Harlow — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:12:30 +0100

Also, for those of you that are 24 and not in school - it's something that you should consider. Yes, you'll have loans later, but not too many people are prone to give you bullcrap when you're a student.