Life Files: I Still Live with my Parents

I am 26 years old and still live at home, I know shock horror right! But is it really? Nowadays it seems to be the norm or am I just kidding myself? From my point of view it appears as though our generation is staying at home for longer, I mean why not? I don’t know about you but I still have the luxury of magic laundry, magic dinner and occasionally magic new clothes – yes that’s correct my mum still washes and irons my clothes, cooks me dinner and on the odd occasion likes to buy me new clothes too! Spoilt? Perhaps a little but I know she wouldn’t want it any other way. It does pose the question though, how old is too old to still be living at home? 

As my friends and I leave the “early 20’s” bracket behind and God forbid drift towards the late 20’s, approaching the age of 30, the argument of still living at home seems to be more apparent. I must admit, I blush a little when someone asks me where I live, followed by who do you live with, to which I reply “I’m still at home but I have given myself 6 months to move out”, and its true I have given myself until the end of the year to move my sorry arse out of home for the 1st time and finally start fending for myself. I’ve already started my own collection of kitchen appliances, TV unit, coffee table, outdoor setting blah blah blah, so I am definitely on my way! 

There is an unspoken pressure to move out of home (not from my parents, they wouldn’t know what to do without me there, or at least that’s what I tell myself anyway!) but living at home seems to be becoming less and less socially acceptable. At the age of 20 it was totally justified; at the age of 25 it was acceptable... only just, but anything after that well that’s just awkward apparently 

A few of my friends, some older than me are still living at home but a lot of them have lived out of home for many years, hence the slightly embarrassed expression I get on my face when telling people I still live at home but why though? I love our home, it’s in a great location, it’s close to work, family (other than my parents) and friends, there is always food in the pantry and I love having a chat to my mum when I get home from work, not to mention it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than buying or renting a place these days. For a fleeting moment though, I can’t help but think that maybe I am depriving myself of the experience of living out of home with a roomie but given that I have never lived out of home, I don’t really know what I am missing out on.

Perhaps it really is time to look at leaving the nest but while I am still happy living at home, I can save money and travel the world, not to mention I get along really well with my parents, I will continue to milk it for all its worth! 

Final thought: Who doesn’t love a new wardrobe every week! Now could I really afford to do that if I was living out of home? I think not.