Moving back home after college may not be ideal, but it’s a great way to save some money and relieve a little post-school stress.
While this less-than-ideal situation may be hard to deal with, there are some ways to make it tolerable for everyone. Here’s what you can do.
Discuss Reasonable Expectations
As a college graduate, you’re probably used to coming and going as you please. You have friends over whenever you want and don’t worry about small messes. While this worked for you in college, it might not work after moving back in with your parents. Sit down with them and talk about how you can live the life you were leading for the last four years but in a parent-approved way.
Put Your Stuff in Storage
During your time in school, you probably accumulated a bunch of stuff for your dorm room or apartment. Even though it fit in your old space, your childhood bedroom may not have the same storage capacity. Storage facilities are a great place to keep your stuff until you move out again one day. You can find storage facilities in all different sizes so you won’t have trouble putting away everything you own. Storage facilities don’t have a time limit, so you can keep your belongings safely tucked away indefinitely. If your parents are allowing you to put your college apartment chaise lounge in their living room, you can head to your storage units whenever you want to pick it up.
Talk About Money
Even though discussing finances with your parents isn’t the most fun thing to do, you have to talk about it. If your parents are asking you to pay rent, discuss how much you’re going to owe them. You should also ask them how much they want you to pay in terms of cell phone bills, insurance, and other expenses. Talking about it right away will prevent any financial arguments in the future.
The average American moves about 12 times in their life. College graduates these days often find themselves returning to their childhood home. Moving back in with your parents after college isn’t a bad thing. But while it may not be ideal for anyone, talking about money, boundaries, and storing your stuff can make the process a lot easier to deal with.
