Most teenagers wait for years to move out of their parents' house; throughout high school it seems like the years drag by, when suddenly, it's time to move out and live on your own. This experience can be daunting and overwhelming. Most teens think they're ready to be on their own, "living the dream", but find that the differences from living at home are surprising and difficult to manage at times.
When you're living at home, you have everything set for you. Yes, you're mother makes a list of chores for you, and dad barks out tasks that need to be done around the house, but for the most part, you don't have to worry about much. The burden of paying bills and doing taxes does not fall on your shoulders, you don't have to worry about what color to paint the living room or how much that sofa set costs, and most importantly, you don't have to buy your own toilet paper and Ramen noodles. In my experience, living at home with my parents was amazing. My mom always had food on the table, and always did my laundry without even telling me. My dad was always there to check my car's tire pressure and change my oil whenever it needed to be done. Not to mention, he was always nearby to come to my rescue when I got a flat tire. Another advantage of living at home is the fact that you have to go to school; it's not an option when your parents are around to hear from your school principal if you decide to skip a day. It's also nice to know your mom will make sure you wake up and get out the door on time. When you're living at home, you never have to worry about what you will do for your next meal; your mom or dad take care of all the groceries. The best part about living at home is the added security of knowing your parents are in the next room, and you have nothing to worry about.
Living on your own is extremely different than living at home. For one thing, you don't have your parents watching your every move, so your freedom is pretty limitless. This can be fun at times, or it can be a burden considering they won't know if you go to class or if you decide to stay up partying all night. When you move into a place on your own, you have to buy your own furniture to make the place look fairly decent. While your parents' home is full of nice-looking furniture sets, it seems your new place is full of cheap items you found on Craigslist. When you live on your own, you never have a stocked refrigerator like you did at home. If you're lucky, you have bread, milk, and beer. Going to the grocery store for the first time on your own really makes you appreciate and admire your mother; how they do it every week we will never know. Living on your own, there definitely won't be a lovely dinner waiting on the table for you when you get home from work; you have to completely fend for yourself. Not only do you have to buy your own groceries, but you have to buy everyday items that you never think about purchasing, including soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper. After a few days of living on your own you also realize you have to actually clean the place to keep it looking nice. This includes doing dishes, vaccuuming, and taking out the trash everyday, even though the dumpster may be a parking lot away. Contrary to popular belief, you have to actually clean the toilet and the bathtub too--yes, they make cleaning supplies for that. The most daunting factor of living at home is the fact that you have to pay bills every month. After a few weeks of high electricity and water bills, you learn real fast to take quick showers and turn the lights and TV off when you're not using them. When you're on your own, you don't get a weekly allowance, as nice as that would be. You have to go out and get a job so you can support yourself. Making a budget, which is something I'm still struggling with, is the key to living at home. You can't just ask your mom to buy you that new cool pair of shoes, and when you overdraft your bank account, your dad will definitely be livid.
Living on your own sounds fun, and it definitely can be; it is a learning experience to say the least. There are both advantages and disadvantages to both living at home and living on your own. "Living the dream" and doing it all on your own really makes you appreciate, and sometimes miss, your years spent under your parents' roof.
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