These past nine months have been weird.
No, I didnt have a baby I moved back home with my folks.
My decision was easy: Id secured my first full-time job with benefits.
And it was a writing job amazing.
The office was situated less than five miles from my childhood home.
Additionally, Im really close with my parents.
Plus, Im saving a ton of money.
Rent for a decent one-bedroom apartment in my quickly-growing hometown starts around $900 a month.
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Im thankful for my parents, for my home, for my decision.
However, if youre considering this move, its not as simple asdecluttering your roomof high school belongings.
On your end, on your parents end, on everyones end.
Luckily, I havent committedallof these mistakes.
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Mistake No.
1: Thinking youre the only one whos miserable
Chances are, your folks probably are, too.
My parents hailed over an empty nest for two years.
Then I came back home.
In the beginning, she joked her parents were her new roommates.
Really, thats a great way to think about them.
Theyre no longer your caretakers.
Theyre more like roommates, and you have to be respectful.
Mistake No.
2: Not establishing the house rules beforehand
Oh, youre going running?
Get back before dark, is something my dad would say.
And I worked at a magazine with 2 a.m. deadlines.
Then, I walked home… by myself.
How to avoid this mistake: Its important to establish ground rules before moving back in.
Yes, youre invading your parents space; you oughta be respectful.
But that 11 p.m. curfew you had senior year probably isnt relevant any more.
Well, Im 24 now, andwine is nice.
Mistake No.
3: Disregarding rent or a payment plan
My parents dont make me pay for rent.
Yeah, boo, hiss; Im a spoiled millennial.
But also this is something they can easily hold over my head.
For example, my mom ate my beloved guac the other day (on accident).
And that Im living inherspace.
Luckily, this isnt a common occurrence in our house.
I know my mom hates unloading the dishwasher, so I venture to do that as often as possible.
I help with laundry.
I keep my room clean.
I squeegee the shower doors a weird thing she really likes having done.
Rather than paying rent, she promised to keep the fridge stocked and have dinner prepared.
Unfortunately, it didnt all come out in the wash.
So be smart about it.
Mistake No.
After 12-hour days in graduate school, I came home and usually stayed there throughout the weekend.
Get out of the house.
Or seclude yourself, whichever you prefer.
My boyfriend lives in Orlando, so I make trips to see him at least twice a month.
However, if Im not traveling one weekend, I enjoy staying at home.
But I realize my parents are not there to entertain me.
Instead, I do my own thing.
I stay out of their way, and they stay out of mine.
But if you work from home, this adds special, complicated layer to the situation.
My coworker, Dana Sitar, moved back with her parents one summer while she wasa freelance writer.
That meant I was around way too much, she says.
And they also generally didnt understand when I was working or not.
On my work-from-home days, Im sure to establish my boundaries.
Mistake No.
5: Forgetting youre an adult
Do not forget youre a functioning adult.
I have a full-time job with awesome benefits.
I have a serious boyfriend.
I have two higher education degrees.
I still have a lot to learn, but Id say Ive earned my adult patch.
However, its really easy to forget this.
But you cant lose sight that youre an adult.
How to avoid this mistake: Remember, youve done things.
So establish your own roots.
I also enjoy hanging out with my coworkers.
Mistake No.
I told myself Id save money for about six months and be out around Christmas.
However, I didnt set any end goal or hard deadline.
And look at me now.
Its been nine months, and Im still here.
And I really dont have any proactive plans to pack up soon, either.
How to avoid this mistake: Set some goals.
Youll want to break out your rusty math skills to do this perhaps build a budget.
Bring your paycheck and expenses (including potential ones) expenses into the picture.
Because you might get a little too comfortable…
Mistake No.
Like I said, I moved back home to save money avoid rent.
When youre ready to live on your own, youll have a great downpayment for a house!
Now, shes shopping for an apartment but has to narrow her budget to account for her monthly payment.
Now that Ive written about these mistakes, Im wondering:Who the heck would move back home?
But I dont regret my decision so long as I can continue to budget and squirrel away money.
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
Shed like to add Mistake No.
8: Moving back in during an election year when you dont totally agree with your parents views.
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