To Move Out Or Not To Move Out?: How To Decide Where To Live After College Graduation

Decisions, decisions… We make them every day: Dress or pants? These shoes or those? Breakfast or no? This route or that one? Stay in or go out?

As a 20-something fresh out of college, there is one decision that will weigh quite heavily on your mind: To move out, or not to move out?

Perhaps you went to college away from home, where you either lived in a dorm or had an apartment all your own. You've become accustomed to your freedom and to not answering to anyone, staying out all night and having friends over as you please. Now, that trip is over and you're back home with the folks.

Perhaps you never left home at all, but you’re feeling suffocated under the reign of your parents. It's like they can't respect and appreciate the fact that you're now a grown-ass person. Thus, you find yourself at the crossroads of whether or not to move out.

If you’re struggling to make said decision, check out the following list of pros and cons that may or may not help to guide you:

Pros

1) You won’t feel guilty about staying out late.

It's 2 am and your phone hasn't rung with a hysterical woman on the other end asking where you are and demanding you to get home right this instant! You can even stay out all night — or bring home a special someone — and not expect to be lectured when you get home.

2) House Parties

With no one there to tell you no, call your friends and tell them to bring bottles because you're about to have a crazy night! Added benefit: The next morning, after the party is so, so over and the living room stinks of everything except Lysol, no one will hound you to clean before you even get the chance to order breakfast and binge watch “Bar Rescue.”

3) Privacy

Parents have a pesky habit of knocking while opening a door, rather than waiting for the response that it’s okay to enter. This can lead to rather traumatic experiences. Need I say more?

4) Moving out will give way to sense of independence and responsibility, which will ultimately lead to a more confident and mature version of you.

You will begin to feel like, “Yeah, I've made it. I can do this. I have my own keys to my own place. I'm a legit grownup now.” Fake it till you make it because you don’t qualify as a grownup until your fridge contains more than beer and mustard.

5) Peace Of Mind

When you live alone, you won’t have siblings milling around the hallways, waiting for you to leave so they can snoop around your things and invade your closet. Plus, you won’t have to tune out all of that unsolicited advice from your parents about how to get your life in order. When you live alone, you’re the only person you must answer to (well, bill collectors, too).

Cons

1) When you live alone, you are broke — like ALL of the time.

As soon as your pay check rolls in, it rolls right back out to pay your seemingly unending bills. Living paycheck to paycheck isn’t fun because it means that you won’t have the freedom to take that weekend trip with all of your friends.

When it comes to your regular social life, you end up staying at home many weekends because you can't afford to go out in the first place, much less to stay out all night paying for expensive drinks.

2) Your long-term financial goals get pushed back and become a bit longer-term.

You can't save as much as you'd like, so it's highly likely you won't be able to own a house or car within the timeframe you originally thought to be possible.

3) You spend your nights (the first few, at least) feeling very terrified.

A friend of mine said the walls talked to her for the first few months when she moved out on her own… but I suspect she might be a little bit loony.

4) You get lonely.

...like, really lonely -- especially if you're not a part of a tight group of friends or if you don't have hobbies or a relationship to keep you busy.

The decision to move out of your parents’ home is a huge one. Financially, at least, it makes sense to stay home for as long as you can.

When we were younger, many of us fantasized about moving out and what it would be like to be grownup. We wished for it, but when the time finally comes, it seems that it isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm not sure the payoffs are worth it in the long run, but only you really know your situation.

Photo credit: We Heart It