Hello!
Welcome to my first ever blog post! I’m so excited to be starting this new journey with you all!
For some context, my name is Ainsley and I am currently 24 years old living in the suburbs of DFW with my family.
As many of you know the 2024 Economy has been… rough, to say the least. The cost of living has only continued to rise in the last few years. Because of this, I decided, like so many others, to move back in with my parents in order to have better control over my finances.
Living at home is not as easy as it sounds. Saving money on rent is amazing but… at what cost?
There are so many benefits to living with family in your 20s, but it’s not always so glamorous. Here are some honest truths I’ve discovered while living at home with my parents.
1. It forces you to become more intentional with your friends
I was so scared when moving home that I was going “backwards” in life. I hated that I would be further away from my friends and further from the hustle and bustle of the city. I was worried that I would be preventing myself from growing in any social aspect.
The truth is however, living at home has forced me to be so much more intentional in making time for my friends!
Because I live further away, I am forced to make plans well in advance. In a way, I love this so much more than the wait-till-the-last-minute hangouts that would only sometimes make it out of the group chat. I truly believe that being further from my friends has only strengthened my friendships.
2. It’s more common than you’d think
I was shocked when I realized how many people are also living with family post-grad. It is so common! So many people are in the same boat when it comes to financial difficulties these days, and living with family has become one of the easier ways to save money.
Knowing that I wasn’t the only living with family in my 20s made me feel less ashamed.
3. It can be mentally challenging
After graduating college in 2022 I lived in a one bedroom apartment just north of Downtown Dallas. Going from living on your own to living with family again is hard. Like really hard.
I have wonderful parents but the truth is, we have had to set so many boundaries now that we are all living under the same roof again. Respecting each other’s boundaries is the only way that we’ve been able to prevent irritation and conflict in our house.
The truth is, instead of only worrying about myself and having my own plan for chores, shopping, cooking, etc, there are now three people each with their own opinions.
I will forever be grateful that I have parents who are allowing me to share their space with me, but that doesn’t discredit the challenges that we’ve also had to overcome since I’ve moved back in.
4. It allows you to spend more time with family
My favorite thing about living at home isn’t saving money on rent. My favorite thing is being able to spend extra time with my parents as we are all getting older.
My parents and I are in such a weird transitional phase. I am a young single adult who is trying to figure out where I fit into this world, while my parents are in their done-raising-kids but not-yet-grandparents phase.
It’s strange and wonderful and we are all just cherishing this time together before the next phase of life comes and shakes everything up.
5. It allows you to prioritize your finances
I of course have to mention the #1 benefit of living at home in your 20s… saving money!
Living at home has allowed me to tackle the credit card debt that I had let build when I was living on my own. Allowing the majority of my income to go to debt payments and/or savings has been the biggest blessing. I truly feel that I am setting my future self up for success by sacrificing living on my own in exchange for less expenses.
I will warn you however, that the temptation to make poor financial decisions is just as hard when you aren’t paying living expenses. I am so quick to think “Oh! Well I can afford this now that i’m living at home” which completely negates all of my financial goals!
Overall, I am just so grateful that for the next however-many months I will be living at home I will be learning about financial literacy and working on my financial goals.
I never thought I would be living at home post-graduation. Though I’m no longer minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I am so grateful to my parents for opening up their home to me. Though it’s not how I pictured my early 20s going, I know that I’m setting myself up for success.
Best Wishes,
Ainsley xx
