The Perks of Being A Millennial Living At Home

Are you a millennial still living in your childhood home?

Yeah, you’re not the only one. I’m one of those “darn Millennials” that just haven’t left the nest. Trust me, I do dream of the day that I can step out into my own place. But today isn’t that day. Tomorrow isn’t either. Probably not next month either…You get my point.

Personally, I haven’t moved out because of money. If you live anywhere near the GTA or any major city, you know that homes to buy and places to rent, are ridiculously expensive. To me, it’s not worth paying rent and not owning a property, when I can save up money for a bit and put a downpayment on a place I own, and pay pretty much the same price as rent, towards a mortgage. I’ve looked at numbers and it’s honestly a bit scary. If you ask people who bought a decade ago, they’ll also tell you how much the marketplace has changed and how they don’t understand how people afford places.

Considering I’m still starting out in my career (as a digital marketer/content writer/social media specialist) I’m not sitting on huge amount of money. I also haven’t inherited any money from a great aunt twice removed that left me a chunk of cash in her will. I’m pretty damn average.

It does get me down at times. When I see other people around my age living on their own or moved out with their significant other, or even with roommates, I get a little bit panicked. But then there are days when I realize that my decision to stay at home (for now) will be beneficial for the future. And that’s when I have to remind myself that there ARE perks to being a millennial, living with good ol’ mom and dad.

There Are Perks To Living At Home

No really, there are!

While the grass seems greener on the other side, there are perks to being a millennial living at home. In case you need reassurance on your living situation, I’ve rounded up the Perks to Being A Millennial Living At Home:

1. You’re not (fully) responsible to keep the house running

Yes, when you’re a millennial living at home, you’ll be asked to pitch in and do your share to keep the house looking clean. But you’re not the only one this inevitable task falls onto. Plus, your parents will probably still kill all the spiders for you…Oh that’s just me? Moving on…

2. You’re not the one who has to pay the utilities. Or cable. Probably not Netflix either! 

Sure, having your own place is great, but with it, also comes great responsibility to get hot water and beloved TV. As a millennial living at home, your parents will still be the ones footing these bills (even if you contribute a bit) and they’ll have all the numbers to call for when things go wrong with the water, heating, cable, etc.

It’s a perk that you probably haven’t thought much about, so be grateful!

3. Home maintenance isn’t on your agenda

When I hear people say how they spent their entire weekend on home maintenance projects, my body shudders. I’m not at a place in my life where I want to keep a nice garden, or pay to redo my roof, or renovate my bathroom. I spend my weekends doing things I love with the people I love, far away from house maintenance.

4. You don’t have to make rent or mortgage payments

This may be my favourite part of being a millennial living at home. While I do pay my parents some money (based on virtue and because I do earn money), I don’t have to deal with insanely expensive rent payments on a monthly basis. I also don’t have to make mortgage payments on top of an initial downpayment for a home.

All that money is sitting safely in my bank account and in investments where it will grow. When it accumulates and when I have a solid career going, it’ll be there to use.

5. Someone will likely be around if you need company

I’ve heard a lot of people that move out on their own say how lonely it can be. I mean, have you ever wondered why people own so many plants and cats?!

I’m all for having my alone time because I need a lot of time to myself to recharge. But I also really like having someone there to talk to when I need it. Or for hugs…Being a millennial living at home gives you the option of being around people, but also being a hermit crab in your room.

6. You’re not solely responsible for cooking

When you’re a millennial at home and live with your family, it means that you’re probably not the only chef of the house. Your parents may still insist on cooking for you, or you’ll split the responsibilities of cooking.

Plus, worrying about portions and the amount of effort to make something for only yourself, suddenly goes out the window. You’ll be feasting like the Queen you are.

7. The family home is usually bigger than most “first homes” on the property ladder

If you want to live in a place that has a decent amount of space, it likely won’t be in your first home.

Unless you’re lucky or find a fixer upper, your first home will have a much smaller square footage than what you’re used to living in your family home. That’s part of the reason I’m hesitant to move out. I want a place that doesn’t feel like I’m squished into a shoebox. Places that are too small to move around in make me feel like Alice from Alice in Wonderland when she’s too large for the house.

8. You’ll Learn Useful “Life Hacks” By Observing Your Parents

Being a millennial at home means that you can pick up genuine life hacks from watching your parents. I’ve learned a lot from watching my parents run a house. I’ve learned that someone needs to be on top of bill payments. Or that someone needs to be doing the laundry on a regular basis so there isn’t weeks worth of back up.

I’ve also learned that a neighbours cable line running across your property, isn’t your problem to fix (true story: and it took a month for them to fix it!)

Some of these life hacks may seem like common sense, and they are. But it’s so much better to learn them from a distance, rather than being thrown into them and struggling to get through it.

9. You’ll Bargain For What You Want 

I’m not talking about bargaining for household items. I’m talking about bargaining for what you want to do. As a millennial living at home, it can feel like a trap some days. Like not being able to leave socks around the house, or not being able to have crazy parties, or not having privacy.

Somewhere along the way, you’ll find little bargaining tools. Maybe you won’t get to be a slob around the house, but if you bargain and strike some deals, you’ll likely get your parents off your case for having a slobby room.

It’s the little victories that you’ll come to love and appreciate.

10. You’ll Be Ready For Moving Out

When the day comes that you do finally move out, you’ll be well equipped. You’ve watched people run a household before. You’ve taken part in the running of some household tasks. You’ve maybe pitched in a bit. And you’ve learned what you need to keep an eye on in your own place.

So when you’re ready to move into your new place, you’ll actually be ready. You’ll probably still have an adjustment period, but maybe you won’t need to call home as often to find out how to do things on your own.

Plus, think of allllllll the money you’ll have to move out with! You’ll probably have enough to buy furnishings that comes from places beyond IKEA. Or, you can even be a grown up and own a whole China dinnerware set. All I’m saying, is that you’ll have the knowledge and the money for when you’re ready to move.

In short, it’s totally okay to still be living at home. Everything falls into place as it’s needed and you can enjoy the perks while you still can! But I want to hear your thoughts on the topic. Let me know down in the comments if you live at home or have moved out and what you like/dislike about it!