Living on Your Own After College

College may have been a time when you’ve never felt more independent and free during any other time in life. You didn’t have to answer to anyone, curfew was nonexistent, and you didn’t need anyone’s permission to have friends over.

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On the other hand, maybe you went to college while living at home. Barely being able to breathe under your father’s budgets and your mother’s curfew. They’ve never respected you as an adult and you’ve never felt like one either. This leaves you having to make the decision of either moving out or staying at home after college.

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Here are some plusses and minuses to help you determine if you should move out or stay at home:

Plusses:

  • “I’m staying out late tonight and I don’t know when I’ll be home”

The hour hand on the clock is approaching 3 am, and you’re relieved that there isn’t a crazy woman blowing up your phone demanding to know what time you’ll be home. Nice.

  • “I’m throwing a party at my place tonight”

Hit up the boys (or girls) and tell them to bring a bottle or two. It’s time to get festive! Finally you’ll have the open pad every weekend… or even weeknight.

  • “Mind your own business”

Parents tend to have a knack to go “accidentally” go through your stuff while cleaning the house. How are you going to explain the new pipe your friends just bought you for your birthday? Or the pair of underwear your significant other left behind?

  • “Feeding myself and paying for my own bills makes me an adult”

Owning your own set of keys and receiving your bills with your own name in the mail will get you feeling like you’re an adult. Hopefully your fridge will also contain more than just alcohol and Chinese takeout.

  • “Tranquility”

Living on your own means no parents nagging you to finish washing your laundry or little brothers spying on you. You are the only person you must deal with.

Minuses:

  • “All of my paycheck goes to rent”

Bills, bills, and even more bills. Your money will come, as it will also leave. Say goodbye to going out on weekends with your pals as you quickly realize most of your paycheck has to go to your rent.

  • “Long-term is now even longer-term”

As the money you earn goes to bills, you can expect your plans of owning a nice car or mortgage to take longer than you had hoped for.

  • “1 is the loneliest number”

Getting your own place will make you realize how lonely living on your own can be, especially if you don’t have a loved one or close friends.

Moving out and living on your own can be a major decision you will have to make. At least financially, it is feasible to stay with your parents for as long as possible.

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Are you willing to live at home after college and sacrifice some of the luxuries of living on your own? If so, how many years do you think you’ll live at home?