Yikes. I know that headline is very scary, but sometimes moving back home is just what some people need before they move forward with their lives. Moving home, while a bit of shock after being at college for four+ years, carries a lot of benefits with it.
- Free or reduced rent. The biggest perk of moving back home is that you get to live there rent free! You get a lot more bang for your buck as opposed to someone who is paying for a cramped efficiency. Some parents and children negotiate a rent plan, though- just to not feel like a moocher or to make their living at home seem more legit, or they offer to help out with utilities or some other household expense.
- Free food and/or laundry. Everyone can benefit from a fluff and fold and fresh smelling sheets on a regular basis, as well as having access to Mom's cooking and free snacks. Not having to worry about buying groceries or cooking meals for yourself can take a load off. But don't be irresponsible - offer to help with the cost of groceries, or at the least, buy your own. You can also use the access to the stove and oven as a way to learn some cooking basics if you have been living in a dorm.
- Time to save money. Take the time that you are living at home and get a job - even if it's part time - and start saving money for your next move (you can't live there forever, you know). Several post - graduates live at home because housing is just too expensive in their market. You can take the money you are saving and put it toward paying rent on an apartment or toward moving expenses to another city. Don't take this time for granted - or you'll end back up where you started - again!
Drawbacks of moving home:
- Living with your parents again: While the amenities of living at home are great, it can also mean a loss of both independence and privacy from your parents. They may feel that since you are in their house, you are going by their rules. That means no dirty shoes left around the house or unwashed dishes - or in some cases, staying out all hours of the night. In addition, you have to realize that they have grown just as comfortable living without you as you have living without them - it's an adjustment for both parties.
- Awkward run ins with other people living at home: The one thing I truly hate about going home for an extended period of time is running into everyone I ever came in contact with during my life. It seemed like that I ran into at least five people every time I ventured outside of the house during Christmas vacation - and they are always full of questions! While your life's decisions are really none of their business, there is nothing wrong with being courteous and simply saying, "I'm taking time off before I make my next move." Address it and go on. Although, you may be able to reconnect with old friends who are in the same situation as you and use that time to hang out and try new things.
Ways to make the transition easier:
Negotiate an agreement with your parents: It doesn't have to be a formal, signed agreement, but agreeing to mow the lawn or feed the cat for them is more than fair. Don't be unwilling to help them out - they are doing you a favor.
Explore your old stomping grounds: Take time to get reacquainted with your old surroundings. The Dairy Queen where you used to go after football games may be long gone, but there are always new haunts popping up - it just takes someone who's curious enough to find them.
Take a road trip every once in a while: even if you are from the most rural place, there is a big city to be found - just hop in! Take the time to plan a fun weekend - find new restaurants, shops, and local attractions- you may even find a new place to call home.
Don't seem like a slacker - If you are living with your parents "just until you get a job", make the effort to actually search for one and send out resumes. This will show them that you are indeed making an effort to move on with your life.
For more info:
Here's an article on how to make the transition easier: Moving Back Home
Watch Failure to Launch, a movie starring Matthew McConuaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker that focuses on a family's plan to finally get their thirty - something child to move out.
Also recommended: Blast from the Past .
Read one of my favorite books: At A Crossroads by Kate Williamson. The author chronicles her move back home, which went from only lasting three months to nearly two years.
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