How old were you when you moved out?

[C. Charles Hahn]

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.

[TomG]

Shiny what do you mean?

[04mach1]

i guess im one of these kids, went to UC in san diego right after high school, graduated and came back home and then ended up going to the local community college and getting an associates to go with my bachelors. Been working for a bank the past 2 years making good money. The only reason why i havent moved out is cuz my pops told me not to unless it was absolutly necessary. So i didnt, ended up buying a vacation house out in bullhead city, AZ.

All in all i dont regret not moving out, once i graduated high school my parents became real laid back, i could come and go as i pleased, they didnt care if the g/f stayed the night, etc. It was nice to be in college and not to try and juggle girls, partying, school, and a job to support my myself, then to come home and not have to immediately get a place on my own and worry on whether or not id beable to pay all my bills every month.

I did take on some of the household bills once i got a job. I thank my parents for allowing me to stay at home all this time, and i couldnt ask for 2 more loving and giving parents.

I feel that all this time was good for me as i was able to build up my credit and take on the household bills and stuff as i felt comfortable, instead of jumping right in and being overwhelmed with them.

In the end, my parents are leaving me the house as they are gonna retire to there vacation house in oregon, the only thing is i have to make the last house payment in april, as there going in march. Im in the position financially and mentally now that i can do that and not really be under any pressure.

[Way2SSlow]

I`m 25 and still live at home. I own two cars (niether is exotic or worth a whole lot of money). One of them is modded, but I have had it since I was 17 and modded through high school. The only reason I am still at home is because apartment living really isnt for me. I`ve been saving since I was 18 to buy a home, and I`ll be damned if that`s not what I`m going to do. I`m a guitar player and have way too much TUBE wattage to ever consider turning the thing on in an apt. Parting with it, is NOT an option....I love my Marshall. I should have a home by the end of `06. My goal was by my 25th birthday (4/21), but I havent found "the one" yet....still looking.

The whole saving for a house and living at home thing was actually my parents idea too....I have a great deal of respect for my parents, so when they speak about matters such as this one, I listen. Am I ready to get out.....HELL YEAH, I`ve been ready since 18..Cant wait to be completely on my own, but my parents are so cool, it`s not like they treat me like a little kid either.

[05SilverTRD]

I graduated high school in June of 93 and went in the Army 2 weeks later. I was 17 when I graduated high school, and I was 17 when I graduated Basic Training. I got married at 18 and had my first kid when I was 20. I have not lived at home since. I am still really close to my parents. We live about 80 miles from them, but see them almost every weekend. I had the best home life you could think of. My mom and dad were great to me and my dad made good money. I just liked the idea of making it on my own. I don`t believe in mooching off my parents. I have a sister that lived with my parents until she was 30 and 5 cousins that are still living with their parents, they range from 36 to 28. I have seen the ultimate in mooching go on. One of my cousins is married with a kid, drives a new Ford F-150 and a new Lincoln Navigator, but still lives at home. I have an aunt and uncle that cannot retire yet because two of their kids are still living at home and do not work. This is a very sensative subject with me. I was able to make it in this world on my own, I worked hard for everything I have.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Shiny what do you mean?

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.

[TomG]

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.

[Jngrbrdman]

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.

[C. Charles Hahn]

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.

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.

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.

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.

[C. Charles Hahn]

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.

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.

[RTexasF]

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.

[05SilverTRD]

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 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.

[C. Charles Hahn]

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.

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.

[The Pad Man]

I moved out at 18. Never moved back home. It was tough in the beginning, but has definitely paid off.

[Miami_Sunset]

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.

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

I do agree with you on the subject Shiny :yes: