HE said…

I hate to ask my parents for money, but I have no problem taking it when it is offered. Parents should always support their kids and we owe it to our parents to love them back. I say, “be a squatter”. If your parents are like mine, they always want to know when you are going to call or come home. After graduation, why not move in and say, “surprise!”

There are many benefits to living at home with the support of your parents. Granted, you can no longer throw any raves with Spanky the Dancing Party Mule, but its nice to have a free place to live and you can always go to your friend’s place for that type of shindig. If parents are willing to help you out, take it. I would love to have a home-cooked meal every night of the week and be able to raid a fully stocked fridge anytime. Wouldn’t you?

If you live with your parents, the days of McDonald’s poor man’s soup are over (for your information the recipe for poor man’s soup is as follows: ten ketchup packets, five coffee creamers, and a cup of hot water. Really nasty but edible when you run out of money and change in your car’s ashtray).

Another benefit of living with support of your parents is the ability to pool your cash. Save up from not having to pay rent and move out when you have a mother load of dinero. Let’s face it, after graduation, you are going to be broke to start off with. Get a good blanket of bills before you face the real world.

You should love your parents and respect them, after all, they love you and they have put up with your crap for 21+ years. Show them you love ’em, live at home. Just be careful bringing girls back home. No one wants to see dad in his knee-high socks and boxers at an inopportune moment.

SHE said…

I think the golden rule is- when you move out of the house, you dish out your own money.

From someone who is just about to graduate, believe me I wish my parents could support me forever. I mean, I have no job because no one will hire me. (Not even Super Duper Weenie wants me.) I’m totally broke and you can usually find me purchasing a Coke Slurpee at 7-11 with nickels. Pathetic!

The bottom line is, I refuse to ask my parents for money. They brought me up better than that. Don’t get me wrong, the occasional offering from mommy and daddy makes me smile from ear to ear. But I would never call them to give me a quick deposit in my checking. Hello, I’m 22 years old.

Of course they still offer me a roof over my head, food to fill me (which is a lot), and all my primary essentials. But, I was put to work when I was 15 and I think that’s the way it should be. I also plan to get a job after graduation … hopefully. Whether the job is waitressing, moonlighting or the CEO of a huge company; that’s going to be the end of the road.

I think once we are grounded with some type of ‘stable’ income, we should pay our own way. As scary as that sounds, I think it’s important for the future. It’s hard enough to save money now, I can’t imagine what it would be like if I begged my parents for money every weekend. They don’t need to pay for my beer, you know.

After college, most of us are not going to move back home. I always thought I’d move back to my small town, live comfortably and enjoy home-cooked meals. But, after being an ‘almost’ adult for four years, I think the next step is to be on my own. Once I’m “not under their roof,” (the famous parent quote) I will have to face the reality of an empty wallet for a very long time.

Hopefully all of us will milk our parents for as long as they allow us. But let’s face the facts, our time as their precious children slowly fades with each passing year. Soon our parents will cut the cord and we will truly be on our own. Once I’m out of the house, let the money worries begin.

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