How old were you when you moved out?

TomG said:
Shiny what do you mean?
Click to expand...

I just mean that it seems like people are making a huge assumption that living at home is automatically a sign of immaturity, and that having parents around makes for a horrible life. Maybe its just me, but I think there is a LOT more to it than that.

The whole "People who live at home need to move out and grow up" thing is what gets me the most. While I'm sure its fine and good to move out of the house at 18, just look at the type of life you'll be living -- probably a paycheck to paycheck thing. I contend that "growing up" involves developing some patience. I'd much rather be living at home, working, going to school, and building up enough money so that I can live in a STABLE environment with a decent house, decent vehicle(s), and enough food on the table. This doesn't mean I'm not grown up, it just means I value a better lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with that, especially since it IS so hard to advance in today's economy. And it isn't like I don't contribute to the household by being there, so I don't see it as mooching when I do PLENTY of work around the house, and pay for alot of my own stuff.

So that's basically it, I find the idea that you cant be grown up unless you're on your own to be absurdly ignorant.
 
Shiny - I agree with you and feel that you are correct about the Grown up thing but I do no think that is what everyone is saying. It seems that most people who are responding to this threat did in fact move out at a young age and are happy about that. I for one - if you read my thread, did not move out at a young age (26) for financial purposes. I think the thing that erks some is that guy who pulls up in his new BMW/porsche on mom and dads bill while living at home at the age of 30! That I feel this is immature, however your point is well taken that living at home at 21, 22 etc... is not and indication of whether or not a person is mature or not. Hell, I know a few guys who moved out before I and they were and still are incredibly irresposible.

We all have different reasons for what we do.
 
In some areas there is no reason to live at home. In Utah you can get a nice apartment for $500 a month. You can get a really nice house for about $900 a month. Living at home here means usually means one of 3 things. You are going to school full time and don't have a job that can pay for rent and your car payment and everything else. OR You have such totally crappy credit that you can't get a loan for a home or approved for an apartment. OR You are just too unmotivated to move out of the house. Out of those three I'd say that reason number one, but I know my fair share of 2 and 3 too. I try not to judge why they are living at home without more information. It doesn't affect me one way or the other, so I really don't care anyway. I just assume they have a good reason.
 
TomG said:
Shiny - I agree with you and feel that you are correct about the Grown up thing but I do no think that is what everyone is saying. It seems that most people who are responding to this threat did in fact move out at a young age and are happy about that.
Click to expand...

Oh definitely; I wasn't meaning to make a blanket statement, it just seems that several of the people are kind of implying that (while there are also some that aren't) and I simply can't agree.

I for one - if you read my thread, did not move out at a young age (26) for financial purposes.
Click to expand...

Right. And I am not saying there's anything wrong with that, I was addressing more to the folks who came off a bit on the strong side and weren't differentiating reasonable reasoning and questionable reasoning.

I think the thing that erks some is that guy who pulls up in his new BMW/porsche on mom and dads bill while living at home at the age of 30! That I feel this is immature, however your point is well taken that living at home at 21, 22 etc... is not and indication of whether or not a person is mature or not. Hell, I know a few guys who moved out before I and they were and still are incredibly irresposible.

We all have different reasons for what we do.
Click to expand...

True, and I agree. Again though it seems the implication I was getting was one of "living at home for ANY reason or in any capacity is mooching. There's a big difference between doing it for legitimate purposes, and doing it because your parents spoil you and don't make you do anything with your life... and I wasn't seeing that represented quite enough.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
In some areas there is no reason to live at home. In Utah you can get a nice apartment for $500 a month. You can get a really nice house for about $900 a month. Living at home here means usually means one of 3 things. You are going to school full time and don't have a job that can pay for rent and your car payment and everything else. OR You have such totally crappy credit that you can't get a loan for a home or approved for an apartment. OR You are just too unmotivated to move out of the house. Out of those three I'd say that reason number one, but I know my fair share of 2 and 3 too. I try not to judge why they are living at home without more information. It doesn't affect me one way or the other, so I really don't care anyway. I just assume they have a good reason.
Click to expand...

Well to address your points:

1) Absolutely reasonable. Although it doesn't ring exclusive to college students, though. There are even some full-time career jobs that don't pay quite enough to "make it on your own" with stability.

2) Credit ratings are actually only a small part of it. If you don't have the money to pay back the loan you take out, that indicates a problem. You could have a perfect credit score and still have a problem with paying back a loan.

3) OK... but again there are plenty of other situations that can force you to be in a jobless/etc. state...

I guess the big picture here is that in order to live comfortably one should not only be able to cover the bills for the current month, but also have a sizeable enough reserve to make it without a job for a decent period (6 months to a year). With other outgoing expenses, and the low-wage jobs most young entry-level folks have, it isn't always easy to build that much cash in a short period of time.
 
When I walked across the stage to accept my high school diploma I went from there to my new apartment. No wheels, took the bus to & from work. This was in 1967. Joined the Navy in Jan of '68 for a four year tour.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
While I'm sure its fine and good to move out of the house at 18, just look at the type of life you'll be living -- probably a paycheck to paycheck thing.
Click to expand...

I moved out at 17 and I did live from paychek to paychek. I am proud of that. I had to do without things when I first moved out. I found out what it was like to work for and earn everything that I have. I think that is a valuable lesson that needs to be taught to most of the young people. There is such a problem with credit card debt in this country that people obviously do not know how to handle their money. I am now in a great financial situation due to all of my hard work. I had to do all of that hard work because I moved out at 18. I am not trying to say that anyone that lives at home is a loser, I am not that ignorant. I think that it is becoming more socially acceptable to live at home longer due to the rising cost of living. I just have some bad examples of this uin my family and they have tainted my view of it.
 
greyS60 said:
I moved out at 17 and I did live from paychek to paychek. I am proud of that. I had to do without things when I first moved out. I found out what it was like to work for and earn everything that I have. I think that is a valuable lesson that needs to be taught to most of the young people. There is such a problem with credit card debt in this country that people obviously do not know how to handle their money. I am now in a great financial situation due to all of my hard work. I had to do all of that hard work because I moved out at 18. I am not trying to say that anyone that lives at home is a loser, I am not that ignorant. I think that it is becoming more socially acceptable to live at home longer due to the rising cost of living. I just have some bad examples of this uin my family and they have tainted my view of it.
Click to expand...

I can't disagree with that, really; except to say that it would seem to me that "young people today" should be able to understand the value of hard work and earning things WITHOUT having to struggle to make it. I dunno, maybe its just the fact that while my parents supplied me with every NEED I had growing up (food, roof over my head, clothes on my back...) I had to put forth an effort if I wanted things above and beyond that. While that doesn't necessarilly mean I had to go get a job and pay for stuff all along, I did have to do work around the house, schoolwork, etc. if I wanted things. No effort, no "wants" -- just the necessities. Even now, I'm 20 years old, in college, living at home, (though it's just my mom and I... my dad died when I was 14), and working jobs; and my mom certainly does still do stuff/buy stuff for me from time to time, but it is because of the contributions I make around the house -- both in the monetary sense and the "work doing" sense. Even if I wasn't living here, I'd still be having to do alot of the maintenance work since I'm the only one even around to do it.

I think there are just as many good people who don't abuse the situation as there are ones who think they are "owed" things from their parents.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
I have to say I am truly shocked at how ignorant some of the views in here are... but I'm going to steer clear of saying anything other than that. I'm not interested in a holy war here.
Click to expand...


Been there done that :yes: if you cant beat em join em, :eat:

I do agree with you on the subject Shiny :yes:
 
shiny and miami are correct with their views, but unfortunatly the majority of people in their 20s-30s living at home seem to be loafers living off mommy and daddy and give the hardworking ones going to school or saving for a house a bad name. like the saying goes a few bad apples spoil the bunch.
 
I never planned to move away from home, my parents are great. At 17 they added a door to my room so I could come and go as I pleased without disturbing them. After I turned 16 I was never home anyways, but I graduated early and went WI for school at 17. Got all the schooling I wanted in 1 semester, but stayed there a few months. Moved back home to NE (where my parents live and I went to high school) stayed with them for 6 months, and move back where I grew up in TX. After a few months in TX I moved to Socal and after a few years now I plan on moving back to TX. To be closer to my family, we are very close and I miss being able to just pick up and go see them.
 
Moved out 3 weeks after i turned 17 into a house with some room mates. Lived with roommates for a few years til i saved enough to get my own house and here i am still in that same house.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top