<p>I think moving back home for a while post graduation to save money for a couple years is a great idea. If I wasn’t determined to go to grad school and my Mom hadn’t moved from our hometown near the ocean in So. Cal to Oklahoma I might just be doing the same. But seriously? Some of you have parents that still do your laundry? That is shameful!</p>
<p>DS is home after graduating from an expensive NE liberal arts college with a degree in mathematics with a minor in computer science. He is home attending our local state university to finish an engineering degree. We are trying to give him as much privacy as we can, with few demands, besides good grades, as we know he, as well as us were not expecting this situation. It’s working fairly well, even have met an overnight female friend the following morning. My feeling is he is becoming an adult, ave to respect him, give him love and privacy. I don’t want to push him out til it makes financial sense for him.</p>
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<p>Curious how long you would expect him to stay at home? Meeting overnight female guest in the hallway sounds a bit ackward.</p>
<p>How long do others in this situation expect to be at home?</p>
<p>Interesting related article published in today’s USA Today</p>
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<p>Good article. Do those that live independently have an advantage socially or in the workforce over stay-at-homes? I would think it shows more maturity - kind of like having a good credit rating.</p>
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With nearly 5/10 under 25 being in that predicament, I don’t see too much shame in it. In the workforce, as in trying to land a job? I’m not sure an applicant legally need to divulge their specific living situation. Only that they have a roof over their head and a place to shower/change and to be contacted at, so therefore should have no problem getting to work on time. And again, with 5/10 in the same situation, I don’t see employers being too suprised if an applicant does disclose they are amongst that statistic.</p>
<p>LakeClouds, it feels like you’re fishing for anything negative to affirm your own belief that staying with your parents confers a points deduction in “the game of life”.</p>
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<p>making smart financial decisions, which includes living with other people (roommates or family) also shows maturity</p>
<p>Just leaned a family member who earned a MPP at a top program will be moving back home after not being to find a job. She had been living on her own before going for the masters and had hoped it would improve her career prospects.</p>
<p>Are other recent grads hitting the same wall?</p>
<p>I am a parent stuck in between happiness and saddness. My only D graduated in June and got a job offer 3 weeks later…so yahoo for that! It is close to her university…but 1 1/2 hours from good old mom and dad!
We had talked prior to her graduation that of course she would be moving home after graduation if she did not have a job …since the gravy train would not be depositing any more $ into her account! She was all for it…and I was frankly excited to have this great person living with us again.
But, darn it! Life has worked out for her. I explained based on her salary at this new job that she was still " poor"… Just not as poor as she was in college! It is a great opportunity for a first job…but I will miss not have a " basement dweller".
She has rented an apartment with two, still unemployed, college friends. Not exactly sure where their rent is coming from…but this drone mom ( yes, she said I was not a helicopter mom…more like a drone) is slowly learning, their finances are not my problem.</p>
<p>As a side note, something happens when you get a job. My D suddenly cares about her environment. Last years apartment was a real DOG! old, icky college living! Now her new apt has granite counter tops and hardwood floors! She recently said the words " accent colors". I may faint!</p>
<p>Well, that’s congratulations-type stuff.</p>
<p>It is only 1.5 hours too. That’s a piece of cake.</p>
<p>So true BC! She could be a 1 1/2 plane ride away! I told her to go out and get a job where ever! That anyone can live anywhere for 2 years!
Well…darn it, she listened to me.</p>
<p>Our S is about as far from us as he can be & still be in the US. If you book a non-stop, it’s a 10.5 hour plane ride and 5000 miles! Still pleased that he has a job and a gorgeous apartment that is within his budget. It’s all good watching the kids grow up. Did love having him live with us for several months while he was awaiting his security clearance. Hope he will be moving back to HI when he’s gotten a good skill set & can get a good job here. :)</p>
<p>I studied marketing at a college no one has probably ever heard of. I do work in the business field. I have been living with various relatives since 09. I’m eemployed in the financial services field</p>
<p>@turtlerock </p>
<p>“I’d like to think that most living back at home need/choose to do so almost completely for monetary purposes and not emotional ones”</p>
<p>What’s wrong with emotional reasons? I graduated from community college with a “useless” liberal arts degree that would have been used to transfer to a four-year school. Got a 3.9 GPA and tons of award money, but felt burned out academically because there were other things going on at the time. An elderly grandparent who lives with us almost died; a sibling of mine was arrested on drug charges; my mother got in a car accident in which she herself was badly hurt; and I had a severe medical issue in need of surgery.</p>
<p>Also, we almost lost our home due to back mortgage payments we couldn’t keep up with after repair work done to the house from flood damage. Technically, I’m not a “basement dweller” because we don’t have a basement anymore. But I do live at home with the 'rents and don’t pay rent because I’m a basket case unable to work. I’m practically a recluse at this point. Trying to see if I can do one of those work-from-home things, like making money blogging, so I don’t actually have to get out there and stress myself with the handshaking/“traditional” work process, the schmoozing and groupthink that I just can’t stand.</p>
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I like to take quotes in their entirety as to not skew what is trying to be said. The focus was on the chain of major selection - job prospects - lack of financial ground, though I do admit that the word emotional was used loosely there. Emotional, meaning not being able to perform what can be considered the basic functions of an independent, responsible, functioning adult life (i.e. doing laundry, washing dishes, etc - hence the suggestion that parents hold the child accountable for certain responsibilities if they do return to the nest).</p>
<p>Therefore, as many studies have found and articles (that I have even cited or reposted here), it can be deduced that the lack of available jobs and/or the lack of pay within available jobs coupled with student debt are the biggest direct contributors to a child moving back in with relatives after finishing their UG studies.</p>
<p>For the record, there’s nothing wrong with children going back to parents with bonefide emotional distress (which is not the kind that arises simply from the fact that they don’t know how to clean their living space) - that’s what family is supposed to be there for.</p>
<p>Again, just in case anyone else reads the thread from the beginning: emotional, as in “I’m so frustrated because I don’t know how to clean my apartment/room, I never have clean dishes, and I’ve been bringing back my laundry every weekend for Mom and/or Dad to do.” Not emotional, as in “Someone I’ve been very close with just passed away and/or someone else I’m close with and/or myself are having serious health issues, I’ve been working so hard at school that I’m being mentally drained, and my house just burned down.”</p>
<p>Bookmarked.</p>
<p>Any updates on peoples status since the summer? </p>
<p>fa-la-la-lena - you had a great list of case studies, have any of them progressed in their job searches?</p>
<p>A friend worked as a consultant for several years after college, was constantly travelling during the week, and never rented his own place til he was 26. Saved up $12,000+ a year while spending most weekends at his parents’ house, and occasionally at friends’ apartments. Would often pay for dinner on the weekend for parents / friends as a ‘thank you’. Just made a downpayment on a great place. Definitely a smart financially decision.</p>
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<p>A good deal. I suspect that this is the exception to why people live in the folk’s basement. Other similar tales?</p>