In preparation for graduation from college, I am sure many college students have big plans. They plan to get a job immediately after college and perhaps buy their own home soon after that. College students may want to travel, or get a dog (that wasn’t allowed in the dorm room), or many of the other things they have been wanting to do while in college but couldn’t do – either because they couldn’t afford it or the college life just didn’t allow it. I am sure one of the things that is not on every college student’s list is to move back in with parents after graduation from college.
Why Moving in with Parents after Graduation from College Can be a Good Thing
Whether you want to admit it or not, moving in with your parents can be a great option. As I have discussed before, graduation from college has its financial challenges that college students are forced to deal with all at once. By moving home with your parents immediately after college, you can make this transition time a lot easier on you. Here are some of the financial benefits of living with your parents:
- Save Money Easier: There is nothing better than free rent. Not only does this help you avoid an expense, but it can make it easier on you to save money. Think of what you can do with the money that you would normally spend on just rent. If I could avoid spending rent for just one year, I would have a small down-payment for a house or could buy a new car (not that I would). You could even use this time to pay off debt.
- Space out Big Decisions: Graduating from college can be a whirlwind. You are forced to deal with the many challenges of growing up all within a short period of time. By moving home for a short period of time, you can delay the decision of where you are going to move. With this crutch, you can take your time as you try to find a job after graduation from college. Otherwise, you might be forced to get a temporary lease while you decide where you are going to live and/or work. The last thing you want to do just after college is make a bad decision or worse, a bad investment.
- Employment Flexibility: Instead of having to get a high paying job, having lower expenses can provide you the freedom to follow your dreams. You may have to volunteer or take a low-paying job to get into the career that you want and having this financial assistance early on may be just what you need for a short period of time.
How to Survive Living With Your Parents after Graduation from College
Even though there are lots of financial and lifestyle benefits to moving back home for a short period of time, we all know that it is hard on everyone. Moving back in with your parents is difficult, especially after you have lived on your own for many years. It is hard to adjust from the college lifestyle of staying up late and going out with friends to living with your parents. If you choose to live at home with your parents after graduation, here are some tips to help you survive.
- Stay Busy: If you are still looking for a job, you may have lots of time on your hands. Sitting around and doing nothing is never a good thing for anyone. By finding a few cheap hobbies to keep you busy, it can make living at home more enjoyable. You’d be surprised at how much of a difference this makes.
- Set Boundaries: If your parents start expecting too much from you in exchange for letting you live there, it might be helpful for both parties to set some appropriate boundaries. Establishing boundaries early on can make a huge difference as everyone will make their expectations known from the beginning. This provides for no second-guessing or feelings of resentment, which in turn leads to a more pleasant environment.
Moving back with your parents after graduation from college does not have to mean the end of your social life. It can provide a necessary assistance when it is most needed. Taking the time to make it as enjoyable as possible can make the difference of following your dreams or giving up and just finding a job to pay the bills. Are you willing to move in with your parents for the chance to follow your dreams?
Have you ever been forced to live with your parents in adulthood? What did you do to make it enjoyable?
I moved back in with my parents after college. While it wasn’t as glamorous as some of my friends who had their own apartment in the city, I was happy with the choice I made. It allowed me to figure things out and get a better handle on my finances by paying off my debts and then saving money.
I wasn’t forced, but I chose to live with my parents when I started my first job out of college because it was in the same Metro area they lived in. We all thought it would be nice because I had been across the country for all of college and didn’t see my family except on some breaks. It didn’t really help me out with expenses much because I paid them a rent-equivalent, but it was definitely nice to not have to look for an apartment and start a job at the same time. It gave me some time to get my ducks in a row financially (got a credit card, started my Roth IRA).
Living with my parents again was stressful on all of us. We did have clear expectations on what my contribution to the household should be, and over time I felt that my parents were treating me more and more like a child. Plus, my commute to work was 1.5 hrs each way. I moved out after about 6 months to a house close to my job that I shared with roommates.
Unless you have a stellar already-adult relationship with your parents I really wouldn’t recommend moving in with them unless absolutely necessary. I think at the time I didn’t know how much work went in to running a household, since I had only lived on my own in dorms, so in retrospect I would have taken on more regular chores/cooking to put less strain on my mother’s time. It probably would have been better for my personal development to just get my own place straight away.
*did NOT have clear expectations
Moving home would have saved money, but I think it would’ve been weird for me. I lived on my own since I was 18. I moved back at 20 in order to save money and it didn’t work out due to family issues.
Would of been nice though!
I lived at home throughout college and stayed at home for 1 year after college. I finally left home at age 26 (i graduated at 25 with a graduate degree) because a new job required that I move.
As you stated, living at home is not that bad. Food..free. Rent…free. No cleaning, no maintenance. The thing that made my life more bearable was that I lived in a room on another floor of the house. They had an extra small bedroom on the first floor, so this physical separation made it A LOT easier.
I plan to live at home for at least a little while after graduation. I do want to buy a house pretty early, but I also want to pay a lot of cash towards it so the savings of living with my parents will be worth it. I shouldn’t go too crazy.
I wish I could still be at home. Home cooked meals and free or low rent… Who care about privacy after those goodies.
Here a view from the other side.
Our daughter is in her 2nd year of university and is about to turn 20. we and she already have the “stellar already-adult relationship with your parents” Emily mentions and that is critical.
We’ve raised her to be independent and to think for herself. She is a person we not only love, but one we like and enjoy.
If it works for her, we’d be delighted to have her live with us anytime.
I moved back in with my parents after college (for a year), and it worked well for two reasons: we had boundaries, and I paid rent. Paying a small “rent” to my parents made me feel more like a tenant. And it worked for us.
I never had to live with my parents after college, but I certainly have thought how much it would have helped get my financial life in order!
The biggest problem I’ve seen is that “kids” don’t view is as an opportunity to live with their parents. They still spend too much money and don’t save up as much as they should.
If you’re going to live with you parents after college, make it worth your while and build up a huge stash of cash!
As a male, I felt like I had to leave the nest and not come back (only to visit). I’m pretty sure my father felt the same way. My daughters, however, will always be welcome back home. I guess it’s truly a double standard.
My thinking is that if you are able to financially support yourself then you shouldn’t be living at home. One of my friends earns $67k/yr and still lives at home and then goes out and buys a brand new car for $35k.