<p>Are your kids managing to survive without parental supplementation ? Are they living independently on their own ? Do you still help them out if you are able ? I wondered how young people 22- 25 are doing with the present economy .</p>
<p>S1,age 24,is two years out of college. He is completely independent, living on his own in another state. We have not given him a dime since he graduated. He has a good job and does well. If this were not the case and he needed help, I’m sure we would offer some temporary assistance.</p>
<p>Why would someone worry about that after boasting about the UG school for so long? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>DS, 25 yr old, completed masters degree in May.
Working his first job teaching public school. Living at home, rent free.
But does pay all other expenses (car insurance/repair/gas, student loans, clothes, cell phone, entertainment/outside food, etc. He’s quite frugal and is saving for first apt and replacement, not new car since his is 12 years old.
The plan is for him to be out the door and completely self sufficient by next year. We’ll see.</p>
<p>Both are self-supporting.</p>
<p>My son, who is 25, completed a master’s degree in computer science in June. He found a job that pays a salary he can live on. He had a teaching assistantship while in graduate school, so we didn’t support him during that period. </p>
<p>My daughter, who is 22, completed a bachelor’s degree in economics in May. She found a job that pays a salary she can live on.</p>
<p>They each have their own apartments – on opposite sides of the country. Both apartments are in nice buildings in decent areas. One kid lives close enough to home that commuting would be theoretically possible, but nobody liked that idea.</p>
<p>Yes, they know how lucky they are.</p>
<p>They do economize. Neither owns a car. One commutes by bicycle; the other by mass transit. Neither has cable TV. One has no landline phone and lives in an apartment furnished almost entirely in stuff purchased from IKEA. The other has only a few pieces of furniture in an almost-empty apartment and sleeps on an air mattress. But they’re young people; they don’t mind.</p>
<p>My son is doing fine though because of decisions he made, leaving his college apartment a mess, not arrange for a summer sublet for it, although he was gainfully employed he had very little money in the bank by the time he paid for the security deposit for his new apartment. We did not feel the need to bail him out at all. All he had for a couple of months was a bed and a dresser, but I hear he’s got more furniture now. He’s very well paid and has few vices and doesn’t drive. I don’t know what he’s going to do with all the money he’s earning. We are thinking of asking for expensive presents. ;)</p>
<p>We are very happy with what our college grads are doing now. They both are doing things that are fulfilling to them. I wish the country would get health insurance straightened out for those who do not work in places where group coverage is offered. We do pay for that for one kid…and will do the same for the other kid if necessary. Other than that…they don’t ask us for money so anything we give to them is because we just feel like it.</p>
<p>We are very proud of the young adults they have become.</p>
<p>Son graduated in May and is doing a PhD program. We still pay for things like car insurance, cell phone, etc…things that his stipend doesn’t cover.</p>
<p>My 23 year old has a job in the Governor’s office that he obtained after a year-long fellowship in a similar position. I’m pleased and somewhat surprised that he found a job that is directly related to his environmental policy major, as I had my doubts. He’s supporting himself and is living with his GF, who is a PhD student at a university near the state capital. They seem very happy.</p>
<p>My 24 year old son is in a PhD program & lives on a research assistantship stipend. We haven’t supported him financially since one month after he graduated college. He’s also very careful with how he spends his money, has no car, but does have his health insurance paid by the university (yay Romneycare).</p>
<p>Our DD elected to graduate early-in Dec 2010. She secured an internship in her field of interest in DC starting in Jan, and parlayed that into a paid position in July. We covered her living expenses while she interned. Since July she has had 2 promotions. She pays for all her expenses…except her airplane ticket home for the holidays.
I hope this gives you the reasurance you seek.
~APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>DS is 22. He finished his degree last December (diploma was awarded in June). He was offered a job in Feb and started working in March, He’s already paid off his student loans. Moved into an apartment in July with his gf. He furnished the place, is putting money into savings every month & is supporting the gf who hasn’t found a job yet and I’m not sure she’s really looking. He drives a new car (we won the car shortly after he finished his course work – he earned it & I’m glad he doesn’t have car payments) In short, he’s doing well & doesn’t need any help from home. He graduated with a CS degree from a top tech school.</p>
<p>S1 graduated in May, with a degree in Mass Communications, from a not-so-prestigious LAC. During HS, he was definitely “the kid on the couch,” staying up late and sleeping until noon. There are times when we think he will never grow up. Somehow he got the message that he had better graduate within four years. And he did. </p>
<p>Since graduation, he lives with us again. He pays his own bills, soon to include his Stafford loan and rent, which we will save and return to him at a future point . </p>
<p>He leaves for work daily at 7:00 AM. His job is at an amusement park, where he has worked summers. His current job is with the maintenance department, dismantling and cleaning rides as they prepare to close for the winter. He doesn’t complain, except that he is annoyed that the grease he scrapes off the rides has ruined his jeans. He still leaves dirty socks and dishes in the living room. He helps out with chores and is fairly pleasant. This is a welcome change from the HS years.</p>
<p>S1 is not a typical CC kid. We know that. I don’t often post on CC about this kid, but I think there may be a few other families whose kids are not yet as independent as they had hoped. We are glad that he is being responsible about his bills and we know that not everyone grows up at the same rate.</p>
<p>Four years ago, we helped older son (now 26) buy a used car when he totaled his car days before starting a new job - no public transportation option. Helping out was a pretty easy decision that paid off. He has been completely self sufficient since.
The world was so idyllic back then. After graduation, he traveled for the summer and didn’t even start applying for jobs until September. He immediately had multiple interviews and within weeks 2 job offers. He was working by early October.</p>
<pre><code> Younger son, graduating in 2010, had a completely different experience. Despite stellar grades from a top lac, a double major in math and economics, he lived at home for 9 demoralizing months applying and being rejected (or ignored) for 100s of jobs before landing a job he was excited about. He is now completely self sufficient.
</code></pre>
<p>merlin, I’m preparing myself for a similar outcome when my D graduates in '13. The only difference, I guess, is that she has a cleaner summer job.</p>
<p>I started a thread about my son when he graduated this past May with no job offer (“Son about to graduate, no job offer yet”) and within that you can see the trials and tribulations of several new grads and their parents. </p>
<p>Glad to be able to say that he did find a job in his field within about 3 months. He moved into his own apartment as the job is some distance away from home. He is doing fine although he is amazed at where all his money goes as I guess all new grads are (and I was many moons ago).</p>
<p>S1 graduated May 2011. Had a job lined up the previous February, not related at all to his degree. His starting salary was >> my current salary and included relo costs, great benefits and stock options. He still describes it as “living the dream”. I love following him on Twitter and FB because his life really is spectacular. Interesting that this seems to be the exception rather than the rule.</p>
<p>Out of grad school with her MM, 26 year old D is…drum roll please…surviving on her own! In her own apartment! Solely as a musician! Teaching and performing!(not waiting tables!!) And they said it couldn’t be done.</p>
<p>son graduated in May and has just started his PhD program, with a very nice fellowship. no need for parents $$ anymore!</p>
<p>Lasma, funny thing about S1’s greasy end of season maintenance job is that he really loves it much more than his summer management job at the same place. He is a messy guy who sees little sense in straightening up stuff that he will use again later. Who knew he’d like maintenance? DH and I shake our heads in wonderment.</p>