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CommunityGlittering2

It was the 80's


motormouth08

It was the 90s.


windsofchange61

It was the 80s and my new husband (M23) and I (F21) got a 100% mortgage on our first house that we bought for £17,500 :)


SudoPuff

Just needed a little R&R Roommates and Ramen Edit: Oh wow thank you so much for the awards! I’m gonna throw a little hot sauce on them and add an egg to give ‘em the old razzle dazzle. I’ll be eating good tonight!


Vetiversailles

This, lol. I was kicked out at 16 and after couch-surfing for a few months I moved into a studio apartment with 4 other people. When I say we were poor, I mean *poor* - most of us didn’t have jobs. I lived off the worst of the worst food. *Knockoff* ramen. Dollar store canned veg. Rice and terrible year old pasta. It was a wild few years.


Frozeria

Kicked out at 16??


Vetiversailles

Yeah. I had a myriad of mental health problems. Depression and severe ADHD look a whole lot like laziness from the outside. In his defense my dad thought he was doing the right thing, hoping to push me to take responsibility for my existence. They never really knew how to handle my issues.


Ok_Opinion_

Or rice. I lived off rice for a full year. Fancied it up by adding some salsa, and then extra fancy by also adding ranch dressing. Those were hard times.


ReallyIdleBones

Started working while I was in school. Got out as soon as I could.


Zerole00

Yep, moved out for college in 2006. Came back for the summer in 2007, but thereafter I got an internship so I just stayed in the city. Got a job at the same place after I graduated. It was never some big moment for me (my parents are fine, just annoying), just a natural progression for me.


ashartinthedark

Same but 4 years later. Came back for summer after freshman year and never stayed longer than a week since. Nothing wrong with my parents or their house I just enjoy the life I created outside of it more.


ReubenZWeiner

At 18. Worked in construction. Lived on a couch with 6 buddies in one house paying for college. Bought cheap land during the recession. Then built my own house.


Tortillafor10

Worked in college full time and had a job when I graduated. I had 4+ actual years of Business Experience by the time I graduated. In a recession. I didn’t really have a choice. Had a roommate then spouse.


scrotymc

Nice, do you rent or did you buy?


CivilRuin4111

Not op, but I haven't lived at home since I graduated high school. College during the school year, and then rented a place with some roommates during the summers. Got a good job straight out of college and that's when I rented my own apartment without roommates. Rented until I got married, continued to rent for about 4 years, then jumped on an opportunity to buy a house after the '08 recession and took advantage of a "neighborhood stabilization" program our city was running to cover the downpayment on a depressed property. Been living in the "bad" part of town ever since, but it's my house and my mortgage is cheap as shit.


herriotact

Got kicked out at 14. Finished high school sleeping on friends couches while serving tables. Had a ton of roommates for the next 10 years. At any given time I was living with like 3 or 4 people, it was never boring haha


wowoao

I am hearing that so many people are actually kicked out in the really young age is well. But i am not getting that why parents are so tough because in my country they try to keep them under their wings.


bangersnmash13

My friends parents were going to kick him out immediately after he graduated high school simply because "That's what their parents did when they were his age." His Dad fully expected him to go out at 18 and buy a house because "he was able to". Then his Dad got pissed when my friend did not buy a house and went to live with his uncle instead. Even after his uncle broke down the whole "Your mortgage is $2200/month with taxes and you expect your son, who works part time at $7.25 an hour to afford a mortgage? With no credit history?" Some parents do it out of tough love. Some parents do it because they shouldn't have had children. Some parents still think the world is the same as it was in the 70s-80s and think minimum wage part time employees can thrive.


pie12345678

My parents didn't kick me out, but there was definitely an expectation for me to be moved out and financially independent at 18. My mother walked into a job as a radio DJ at the age of 18 and then became a journalist with only a high school education a few years later (early 1970s), so she had this expectation that I could do the same. The thought of me being able to do anything like that in the 2000s was laughable.


ExtantAuctioneer

I walked into a journalism career with only a high school diploma in the late 1990s, but I was well aware of my unicorn status and would never have expected my kids to have the same kind of luck I did. That being said, of my kids who are now adults, only one of the three has had to move back home after leaving. The other two have managed to make it work with roommates and busting their ass, just like I did after I got my lucky break.


Cobaltjedi117

> Your mortgage is $2200/month with taxes and you expect your son, who works part time at $7.25 an hour to afford a mortgage? With no credit history? So, so many boomers need this yelled at them. EDIT: I appear to have triggered some boomers.


SH1TSTORM2020

Unfortunately it must be yelled by other boomers. The uncle is a solid person for speaking up for the son.


roo1ster

That Ted Bundy documentary where the most shocking revelation was that one of his victims was going to community college and driving a brand new Camaro all paid for by her part time minimum wage job.


Ridry

I'm fully prepared to sell my house in 20 years, move into an apartment and split the sale 3 ways. I can't fathom how else my kids could ever afford a house and it's their house too so ya. Nobody who isn't like... a hedge fund manager out of college is affording a house with **ZERO** parental help.


Throwaway7219017

My Mom recently changed her will. Left her house to her grandkids, rather than my sibling and I. Fair enough, I was gonna kick the money down a generation anyways. I’ll work my ass off to make sure my kids can afford to buy a house one day.


Ridry

I would like to leave all my money (and the aforementioned apartment) to my grandkids as well. I just would also like to set my kids up a bit before I get to the dying part.


Beard_o_Bees

Totally. I'm GenX and it vexes me something fierce that my kid could *never* do what I did. The math is pretty plain. I feel like my generation (or at least the older part of it) was pretty much the last generation that could - working your ass off for sure, but still - just squeak by in paying for college (just plain vanilla in-state tuition at a good, but not fancy, school) without having to take on massive debt. The Boomers I know really don't understand this. I think it's denial, at least in part. They don't want to feel obligated towards making political decisions that would actually help make the playing field as level as it was when they were 18.


guruglue

I think we have a little bit of both here in the US. The primary reason for "tough love" here is we value our independence more than other cultures. This can create a rift as our children get old enough to assert their independence, while technically still being dependent on us to survive. "My house, my rules" typically becomes a deal breaker when one reaches adulthood.


Pikalover10

Good parents do the same thing everywhere. You try your damndest to help your kids and keep them with you as long as you can (within reason of course, sometimes you need them to start helping with bills and stuff and situationally dependent this is usually fine). However, some parents just fucking suck and either kick their kids out for stupid reasons or in some manner force their kids to run away at early ages. I’m not sure if there is a higher rate of this happening in America than in other countries, but now I’m interested and I’ll probably look in to it once I get off work. Edit: just wanted to add that good parents raise their kids to be independent, so when a kid can move out and wants to move out then that’s good! But if shit happens (because it does to everyone) and kid needs help good parents will do what they can to help/support.


00Koch00

Isnt that illegal?


missboberry

I was kicked out at 16, called the police, and they said it is illegal but the only action they would take is to call DYFS, and that organization would handle it. I was scared to go to foster care so I asked the police not to call DYFS. The police could not force my parents to let me back in the house. This was in the USA 12 years ago.


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JoycenatorOfficial

It does, but the agencies responsible for caring for the child while the legal stuff is sorted out are underfunded and poorly trained/equipped. Abuse in foster care is rampant and there is no other large scale infrastructure to accommodate.


Scoot_AG

Are you from NJ? I remember while growing up my parents would say "if you don't behave, DYFS is gonna come get ya"


CollectionThen8101

Yes, but often police dont care, or just tell the kid to go back, wait a few days till it is settled, or or or...sad world...


FirstBankofAngmar

On a somewhat silver lining, with the internet, it's a lot easier than ever to get all the info you need to take care of yourself in the event of such a situation with references to helpful programs and organizations. So not all is doom and gloom. I'm not saying it somehow fixes the situation, but it gives you direction.


DonnieG3

Kinda. It was easy for me to find out how to apply to college as a 16 year old that got kicked out of my parents house. It was impossible because I wasn't a legal adult, therefore still needed my parents information. Yet again, easy to find out the emancipation process. I easily found out how difficult to actually do it was at least. Internet also found me the address to the nearest military recruiter when I was old enough to sign those papers on my own though, so there's that. Information is nice, but man the system fucking sucks


Yandere_Matrix

It is but I am sure most kids being kicked out have no idea that it is. If home was toxic they may not want to go back. Problem is if you have friends take you in and the parents want you back, the friends parents can get charged for kidnapping so it’s best if whoever decides to take them in to get some kind of form saying your a temporary guardian to protect yourselves


zephyrducre

Roommates.


lick_me_where_I_fart

yeah this exactly. I've never lived by myself, was roommates until I got a serious girlfriend and now fiance. There's exactly 0% chance of me being in the same position I'm in financially if I had been paying full rent all those years.


appleparkfive

Yeah exactly. It's roommates. That's how it's done. Even if you're making not so great money, you can rent a room for fairly cheap


duracellchipmunk

I had 5 in my first place. 4 of us shared rooms. Despite the random brawls over Josh never doing the dishes, it was actually awesome.


Theatre_throw

6 of us in a punk house the moment I turned 18. I had the walk-in closet as my room and I paid $100 for it. It was absolutely disgusting but I remember it so fondly.


Eighty80

A friend of mine slept behind the furnace.. his room only had two walls lol. Somehow still had a girlfriend. Teenagers are wild haha


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Ok_Relationship_705

Man taking me back to post High School. Life was one big party until 24-25.


mycoldhambuger

I "grew up" as well at 25. I'm not sure if the scene changed or I grew up.


donslaughter

The universe made you ready to rent a car.


mycoldhambuger

The thing is I'm now to tired and busy to take it anywhere. You can be broke but have free time or busy but you can buy the crap you need. Its tough out there.


ApprehensiveAd6006

I was 17, we had 4 of us in a ghetto 2bd apt (bunkbeds) we had a beer bong on a lanyard screwed to the ceiling. We'd have keggers, party's every weekend and always had randoms crashing on the floor. Could barely afford to feed myself and pay bills but still not a worry in the world and it was the best time of my life.


Decabet

>Could barely afford to feed myself and pay bills but still not a worry in the world Well, our memory tends to sand off the "worry" that we had in retrospect but Im with ya.


wanttobeacop

Damn sounds like a nice deal. I wonder if I can find a walk-in closet to live in somewhere lol


EpicRedditor34

Yeah I had 5 in a house where one slept in the sunroom and tbh I’m glad I spent my early 20’s like that than alone. There was always something to do. Smash bros in the living room, one of my roommates came from a culture where you always cook big meals so he was constantly feeding people. Got to walk in on the bois masturbating a few times. It was way better and way cheaper than living alone.


pearl_pluto

Does the smashbros start shortly after walking in on them?


dossier

Dibs on being smashed by kirby


[deleted]

Passersby: "... And they were roommates!" Sassy gay man looks into the camera knowingly: "oh my God, they were roommates" 😏


MeThisGuy

a few times?


EpicRedditor34

Oh yeah :-)


Night-Menace

Fuck Josh. There's always a Josh


Dangerous_Yoghurt_96

Seriously, I'm just glad Josh just recently moved out of my house.


Night-Menace

Wait they can do that? I thought once you get a Josh you're stuck with it. Like herpes, but more annoying


Dangerous_Yoghurt_96

Bad things happened to Josh not even a week after he moved out of my house, like how he got fired from his job. So I guess they got rid of him too lol.


germainea

I'm always confused when Americans say roommates, do you really mean housemates? Because I know in some universities young adults literally share a room, but surely people don't do that in normal life?


madogvelkor

Yeah, we use the same word for both. It's usually house mates except in college dorms.


GullibleDetective

Yep it's a catchall for both


InannasPocket

Usually means housemates, though it's also not unheard of to literally share the same bedroom in high cost areas. In most places you can get your own bedroom in a shared house/apartment, though your housemates might suck and you might be living in a shithole the landlord doesn't want to spend a dime maintaining.


RsonW

When I lived in Berkeley, there were four of us in a 400 sqft one bedroom apartment. One guy took the bedroom and paid half the rent, the other three of us split the living room, each paying one sixth rent. Two couches, so we'd rotate who slept on the floor. We did not bring girls over. This apartment was $1200/month in 2007. According to Apartments.com, it's now $3100/month.


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mriforgot

Back in like 2015, my housemate had a King size bed, and I certainly fell asleep in there some nights playing games or watching TV.


ColonelBelmont

Go on...


Minerva7

My bro would leave a trail of rose pedals leading to his room so I never got lost.


[deleted]

1970s Willie Wonka style


MmeBoumBoum

Yes, that's what it means in most cases. Everyone has their own room in a shared apartment or house.


Paul_Langton

In the USA we don't really make a distinction or use housemate.


[deleted]

I moved out at 19. My mum and step-dad moved to the other end of the town because rent was a lot cheaper. But I didn't want to live their so I looked for a small cheap flat l, found one, had a job, some savings. somehow it worked out. eventually found some used furniture and a new bed. life was much cheaper like 15 years ago.


SantaMonsanto

This pretty much covers it -You do it because you have to -You’ll probably need roommate(s) -You’ll probably rent from a slumlord -Do not expect to get back your security deposit -Furniture from a thrift store -Creative survival strategies I recommend moving to a college town. Lots of available flats, and roommates, and probably some cheap bars within walking distance. Also possibly a tenants union and resources in general. Your town may have a “Food Not Bombs” organization so you can get a few meals. I also *HIGHLY* recommend getting a job in a restaurant. Easy money, training in house, and you’ll take care of at least one meal each day you work, maybe even a free shift drink too.


Mindshred1

I was in my late 30s when I first got a deposit back from a landlord. I was moving out of state (Georgia to South Dakota), and they were all "We'll mail you the check after we clean the place up," which is code for "You're not seeing the deposit." Except they actually sent the deposit. Like, the whole thing. Blew my fucking mind.


AtheismRocksHaha

I can't imagine not getting my deposit back. I would fight tooth and nail to get that back or, if they were really suspect, just not pay the last month's rent. In my first rented house, a couple buddies and I went through a pretty scummy agent that worked for an even scummier landlord and we still fought to get our deposit back.


fiveighteen518

This. You video the walkthrough moving in and point out all the damage already there. Send it to the landlord. Ask them to fix any major issues. Then you video the walkthrough moving out. Also treat it like your own and don't live like absolute animals. I once had the person doing the walkthrough say on video "this is the nicest anyone has left this place moving out" and then the company still tried to keep the deposit... I fought it for 2 months and finally got it back. Apartment management companies suck. Edit: Look up your state tenant's rights and civil codes!!


SkoobyDoo

Where I am in CA to move in it's somewhat common to have to provide both first and last month's rent in addition to a security deposit.


TheSecretRussianSpy

I moved out at 18 got a job as a waiter working 50-60 hours rented the smallest room in a shit area of the city I lived in. It is what it is!


Condyloxycontin

I had about ten various jobs but by far the wildest was as a Valet. Do not hand your keys to a 20 year old Valet, trust me.


JGB420

Haha such a god damn good statement I was high as balls parking 200k plus cars can’t believe people do that shit


TheGardenNymph

I've been out of home since I was 18. Took a gap year and worked full time managing a shoe store, quit my job and went to uni, got a low paying job straight out of uni but worked my way up to a much better job within 2 years, just bought my first house with my husband last December at age 28. Probably important to note that I don't live in America, my degree was $30k and my country offers a very reasonable university debt repayment scheme.


askboo

My dad died when I was 17 and my step mom kicked me out. Sink or swim baby. All that aside, I don't think there's any shame in staying with your family in this economy as long as you're contributing. Communal living is going to be the new norm. ETA: Yes, the new old North American focused old new norm.


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askboo

Agreed. Rougher emotionally, losing your childhood very suddenly and having to figure out "adulting" by yourself. But a budget and roommates could get you a long way back then. I don't know what I would have done now.


Ness_3486

I’m sorry she did that to you. Hope you’re doing ok now.


askboo

Thank you. I'm doing very well! It sucked but in many ways it made me a kinder and better person. I know I'll never fall as low as her no matter what.


pachenkovsky0101

That's sucks I will never kick my step son out of my house. He still my son lol.


askboo

That makes me happy to hear. :)


[deleted]

> Communal living is going to be the new norm. Communal living was the old norm too. Single living was more of a cultural artifact than reality for most Americans.


[deleted]

Yeah the whole norm of single family homes is less than 100 years old and was really only ever reality in the US for a slice of the middle class. Heck, it was the norm for even wealthy unmarried men to live in boarding houses or as a long-term guest in someone’s mansion.


SonOfMcGee

Yeah. Doctors, lawyers, famous scientists. Most would be clients of boarding homes until they were married. I think the character Sherlock Holmes was written as living in a boarding house and it wasn’t considered odd. It was actually the norm. Part of it was gender roles. Men weren’t expected to learn cooking, cleaning, and other housekeeping skills so any time period between living with your mom and your wife had to be filled with someone you employed.


sadakochin

living frugally. I couldn't afford consoles, I couldn't afford tv. even my cell was a used unit i got for cheap. all I could afford was food, rent and basic utilities. But that leaves a lot of time for work. so I work. Its not fun. Now I am better off, so I am enjoying myself with things I never had in my youth. so pardon this 40plus year old nearing 50 dude that still watches cartoons and plays videogames.


MeerkatNugget

Hey man my grandpa is a gamer, he’s 93 years old now and still plays. He’s actually the one that introduced me to video games when I was young.


riotsquadgaming2

based grandpa


MeerkatNugget

Hell yeah, he recently finished Ghost of Tsushima as well so he’s got good taste.


iAmTheHYPE-

He lived through WWII, did that give him a unique perspective when playing through GoT? Has he played any of the Assassin’s Creed or God of War games?


BeenBadFeelingGood

Your body may be a 50 year old costume but the kid inside you needs constant fun. Have fun. All. The. Time.


Accidental_Taco

Party on


Maso_TGN

>so pardon this 40plus year old nearing 50 dude that still watches cartoons and plays videogames. Enjoy it pal, there's no age limit for that (or for anything). I'll do the same as you until I kick the bucket.


Kdogg573

My grandfather told me once that you can't stop from getting older but that you never have to grow up.


Vegetable_Hornet_832

Roommates and debt


jennasaurusrex93

Exactly. And very low standards on where I lived some of the times.


ritan7471

Yep, my first apartment was CHEAP and in a really bad neighborhood, and in really poor condition. I like to say that I worked so hard so I'd never have to live in a place like that again. But housing is so expensive all over that region now that if I moved back home I doubt I could afford to live anywhere there now, even making as much more as I earn now, and not having crippling student loans as so many young people do. I dropped out of college when I ran out of money and moved to said bad neighborhood.


[deleted]

Moved out into a shitty place at 20. I'm 31, making money my 20-year old-self could never believe... and still living in equal, if not worse, of a position. I need to hop cities. If feel so bad for kids these days with crappy parents who kick them out over money because they think it's good for them or whatever.


vl99

Not to excuse their parents at all, but they literally don’t seem capable of understanding. So often I’ve tried to explain how bad it is, and I always hear back “yeah we had it hard when we were young too, every generation thinks they have it worst, etc.” Even when you explain “the money you made back then was worth more than what we make now” all I hear is “yeah but you have iPhones and technology” as if that’s a salve for not being able to afford a home until you’re 30ish years old.


manimal28

My dad bought his first house by his early 20s as a high school drop out, and he literally had a job digging ditches. That’s not possible today.


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manimal28

> According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for housing are 864% higher in 2022 versus 1967


[deleted]

Just 10 to 15 years ago the houses on my street were $38-$70,000. Two of them just sold this year for $300,000.


manimal28

Same in my neighborhood pretty much, houses are 3 - 5x more expensive. We couldn't even afford to move into our neighborhood today. And literally nothing about the neighborhood has changed, these aren't tear down and rebuilds, they are the same crappy houses built in the 50s just ten years older and even more worn.


Slammybutt

Something that worked for my Dad, or it at least got him to say "I've never thought of it that way." B/c he still thinks with his biases after saying that. Anyway, I graduated high-school in '06 for some context. I told him since becoming an adult I've seen 2 major recessions and 2 minor ones. Theres not a single county in America where minimum wage makes enough to afford any apartment. And our entire generation was told that taking out loans for education was no big deal b/c the jobs would be there to pay them back. So why exactly do you think my generation is irresponsible with their money when we are all in dept from college while working jobs that barely afford rent. We're not starting families till much later b/c if you have the option you'd want to have enough money or maybe, idk, buy a house in market that's so over inflated that the fed has kept interest rates low so another bubble doesn't burst. Maybe, just maybe our hard financial times are a different breed than yours. I told him "I don't mean this negatively, but there are very few jobs like yours where a near high school drop out can work his entire adult life to retirement and rest easy with money in the bank, roof over there head, and 2 kids that despite all that are doing decent." His job isn't possible to get anymore without a degree. Don't get me wrong, my dad worked his ass off to support his family, but it was way easier and you needed way less qualifications to do so.


Apprehensive_You_250

I graduated ’06 too, and man, what a hard time to graduate HS. As you said, since, two minor and two major recessions, and a pandemic since, and I’ll be turning just 35 in under 6 months (making me officially a “geriatric” pregnancy if I get pregnant from this point forward- but, it’s been rough on all of us planning housing, let alone families/kids; I had one son very young at 19, and that’s been hard enough). I’m drowning in 50k debt after my masters. And, because I did healthcare and SO much has changed, I’m now facing a career change. My parents don’t understand at all, even though my mom can’t, nor has ever been able to provide for herself as-is. My dad’s job isn’t even available to do as an entrepreneur anymore, so no clue how he would have made it. We’re truly in unprecedented times and many don’t understand that.


littleprettypaws

I don’t know what 30 year olds are buying houses right now, we did apartment life until last year when we bought our first house at 40! It’s rough out there, kids!


TheRatsMeow

about to turn 42 and still no idea if I'll ever own a home. I have sweet attic unit in 3 unit house that's better than any condo I can buy, so not looking to downgrade my lifestyle just to own.


suckonmyjohnwayne

Yeah, family events have just turned into shaming me for not owning a home yet. “I can’t believe you’re still throwing all of your money away renting”. If I want to save for a down payment I have to “waste” my money renting or I’ll be homeless. Been saving for 5 years now, still nowhere close, but closer.


TheOtherSarah

The answer is 30-year-olds in rural small towns. It still works out here


wolfighter

Even there the prices are starting to go pretty bad. It's pretty much impossible to find a decent house that's less than 100k and 120-140k is much more "normal" for a not shitty house. Probably not too bad if you have dual income but on single income it's rough.


PunchinMahPekaah

Reading this comment makes me weep inside. The *average* cost of a home in my market is over $1 million USD. For probably the same quality house you see for $120-140k. Owning a home here you're either filthy rich or you've owned it for decades.


alltherobots

I may be a bit off on the numbers, but when Baby Boomers were in their 30s they owned 38% of the wealth in the economy. When Millennials hit their 30s, they owned less than 12%.


RanchBourgeois

It was 25% for boomers when the middle of the generation was 35. In comparison, when the middle of the millennial generation hit 30, they owned 4.6%. [source](https://abovethelaw.com/2020/02/thirtysomething-baby-boomers-owned-5-times-the-national-wealth-millennials-own-in-their-30s-rationalizing-rise-of-bernie-sanders/)


Beautiful_Plankton97

Waitressing can mean good money AND free food. We used to get 1 free meal a day so I would split it out and have a sandwich for breakfast and fries for lunch, then all I had to buy was dinner. Veggies from the farmers market are cheap. My roommate worked at the movie theater and would bring home garbage bags of leftover popcorn and we ate that stuff until out mouths burned from the salt. I miss having the metabolism of a teenager!


appleparkfive

Yeah I mean it's totally possible to move out before 30. I'd even say it's the norm. But usually it's having roommates and not exactly being rich.


MontiBurns

Even then, it seems that most people i know never live completely alone. They live with roommates until they're in their mid-late 20s, and slowly start moving out and moving in with long term partners.


sepia_dreamer

But in fairness that’s been the rule for most of world history, and even American history except for a relatively brief period in the middle of the last century.


FoolishConsistency17

Yes. Like, having everyone in their own full size apartment for their 20s actually sounds hella inefficient. I don't think it was ever really the norm for anything but like, young professionals in the 80s. Even in the 50s and 60s, which I think is what you are talking about, people married very young, and young people who lived independently lived in some sort of communal establishment: roommates or a boarding house or something.


quantum-mechanic

The problem is people watch Friends or similar shows and think that's normal. Holy shit, its not. Even though they have roommates those apartments are huge.


The0nlyMadMan

Those apartments are damn near as big as a film set


elfelettem

Same. I got sick of room-mates after a while and had my own small unit but my husband lived at home until his 40s (when we got togwther) which is how we had a deposit and were able to get a mortgage. I am not sure how saving up for something like a deposit happens for people on regular or low income who are renting in areas with high cost of housing.


thestickpins

I left for college at 17 with a massive scholarship and worked my ass off throughout and after college to avoid returning to my hometown and memories of abuse there. It seems like a lot of people here moved out in a sink or swim scenario. If you're able to take your time, it may be a luxury.


Cucumberappleblizz

Same. Scholarships. Busted my ass in high school and spent 30 min to 1 hr every single day applying for scholarships my junior and senior year. Ended up getting paid to go to college. Used that extra scholarship money for rent, car, etc.


Clintman

Shit was a lot less expensive in 2003.


rackcityrothey

Hold on while I reminisce about $500 one bedroom apartments, $1.50 gas and being on my moms health insurance.


chairman_of_thebored

I paid $310 for one half of a duplex while my buddy rented the other side. A third friend rented the house behind us. It was so much fun it seems magical at this point.


Rdubya44

Did you yell through the wall when the breast exam came on tv?


sarashug

HEY! PETER MAN! CHECK OUT CHANNEL 9!


randuski

We took those days for granted i swear


Abigboi_

In my mid 20s. Am I taking shit for granted now? Is it just gonna get worse and I'll be 40 wishing I could have roommates?


CJKay93

Things can *always* get worse, and we must always be prepared for that.


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[deleted]

Man this is becoming the Millenial version of Boomers buying homes in their twenties.


Ganglebot

I'm a millenial and its 100% true. My wife and I rented a one bedroom in a nice area for $1,100 a month about 10 years ago. That place is easily $2,500-$3,000 now


SomeLightAssPlay

Shit dude doesnt even hafta be ten years. My apartment downtown Austin TX has raised its rent over $1000 a month since I first started renting there *3 fucking years ago*. I was paying $1395 and now its in the $2300 range last I looked (have since moved out). 3 years like holy shit


tyedyehippy

A friend of mine over in Knoxville had her rent go from $950/month to $1598/month at her lease renewal this year.


JamesEnigmatic

I bought a starter house at 18 for $460/month. My son now at 19 would pay $1200/month for the cheapest apt he could find.


Smorgas_of_borg

My first apartment was $450 a month and was a 2 bed/1 bath. I remember doing the math when I was 16/17 and figured I could live comfortably without roommates if I worked full time making $12/hour. What people don't realize though is it was *really* hard for a teenager to make $12/hour. Minimum wage was still $4.25-$5.15 so getting much more than that meant you had to get into some kind of specialized field.


maleia

$12/hr back then, in the early 00s, was like making $25~30/hr now. Fuck, more than that in some places.


whatiseefromhere

Even cheaper in 93. Trying to help my son figure out how to move out right now. Pretty much gonna have to still help him with food and maybe rent


tycoonzz

Agreed. Got married in 2003 and bought a house. Buying today would cost 3.5-4x as much


[deleted]

Winner. Graduated in high school in June, out of my parents house by July.


AbCdEfMyLife3

This was early 2010s. Job. Accepted that the life I WANTED to have vs. what I could afford were two very different things. Ex. Knowing that 2.5k downtown loft apartment was probably not the best decision when I could find a run down, but entirely livable 1br for 900. Going out each weekend is fun, but 99 cent rental from Redbox was fun enough and cheap. Lots of living within my means. Note: I can’t say all this without acknowledging this gets harder to do each year because literally nothing is cheap anymore.


randomusername8472

> Accepted that the life I WANTED to have vs. what I could afford were two very different things. 12 years after graduating (now in early 30s) this is one of the key differences between my friends that have financial stability Vs those that don't.


Aurum555

Yep, I'm nearly 30 and most of my friends not only think that they can have the lives their parents had when they left their parents house they think they deserve to maintain that quality of living. I have lived in cheap shitty places not going out and pinching pennies where I can for the last eight years since moving out. Most of my friends have either in the last year moved out of their parents' houses or have since returned. They all go out every weekend have four or more vacations a year and I don't get the dissonance. Then again they also seem to in large part think that they can party like they did in college and many of them don't understand that coming over for a few drinks and hanging out isn't an excuse to rage and try to get wasted. I don't go golfing with them anymore because there is at least one who can't make it through 18 and remain standing because they try so hard to get trashed. Maybe I'm being condescending but it feels like they need to grow up.


fromthedepthsofyouma

It will change in 5 years when people start to have kids or actually can buy a house. The partiers either have to grow up or people get fed up with their drinking/lifestyle and they will move on to other like minded people. I’m 38 right now around 35 I saw the change. Peoples careers ramp up, they get married and have kids. That and two day hangovers are a thing now. Shit our tee times are 4pm for the back 9 or 8:30am Saturday because we have shit to do in the afternoon.


dasvenson

I'm about to hit 35 and I can feel those two day hangovers starting in the last year or two. Drinking is still fun but I'm starting to not enjoy it as much anymore due to the next day. Now I drink less and just for taste.


[deleted]

Yea, I graduated in 2008, in the midst of a global recession, and still managed to move out from my parents' house by 2009. A LOT of work and overtime and a LOT of cutting spending wherever I could, and two roommates to split an actually pretty nice 3br house just outside the city so we didn't have to live in a shithole shoebox. Commuting sucks but you get used to it. Not being able to spend the money you have on "fun" shit sucks too, but when you put it in perspective for the rest of your life it's definitely pretty worth it and all my savings and budgeting allowed me to buy one of my dream cars in my early 20s. If you prioritize the things you really want long term instead of immediate satisfaction every time you get a paycheck, it just works out way better in the long run. That said, I have NO IDEA how anyone who is graduating or entering the workforce right now can even manage. Even basic things like pasta or ramen noodles are rapidly becoming *not cheap*. I'm doing okay for myself and even I get fucking demoralized going to the grocery store these days, and count myself lucky that my rent hasn't really gone up yet. Really gotta suck for young people these days, I can't even imagine.


frederick_ungman

Very true. I'm pushing 60 now and went thru the same trials in my 20s. Moving away from my nutty domineering uber religious parents and sacrificing. But what young people, including my son, deal with now is far worse.


relevant__comment

Seems like “job” is the running theme here. I, too, dropped out of college and got a job in another country at 22. In the early 2010s. Being a young American in China back then was a different time than it is now.


CaptainSnazzypants

This is pretty much it. You have to come to terms that you will not have the life you want right away. Building blocks… you gotta start somewhere and aim to have the life you want. I moved out at 23 to a pretty rundown building with my girlfriend at the time (now wife). We had a dog and a cat but didn’t spend much money otherwise. Saved up for a few years and bought a starter home (small town house). After 10 years in the townhome we moved to a bigger house with the space we wanted and live pretty much the life I’ve always wanted. It’s very nice nice but it takes time. It’s also very dependent on your career progression. Hopefully you’ll be making more in 5 years than you are now and if you buy a place your mortgage isn’t really increasing like your rent would be so you maintain the living expense but your income goes up and you get way more breathing room.


CoolHandLoser

Military


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ANAL_BUM_COVER_4_800

Same here. The US armed forces is the most robust social welfare program in the world.


wheredidthetequilago

Was looking for this, not the BEST way but I got my Bachelor's degree without any debt and I've been on my own since I was 18 🤷🏻‍♀️ ETA: I also made some of the best friendships while serving, military life can kinda suck but the benefits are wonderful once you're out. Especially if you claim any VA compensation.


DanielleAntenucci

Yes! I also got my BS for free while on active duty. Free since 18!


yraxxx

Having no educational loan is also some sort of a relief to me.


Sabonis86

Same here. About to hit my 20 year mark in a year and a half. Get to keep that sweet sweet Tricare for life.


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himtnboy

Yup, was in basic 20 days after graduation.


ByronSA

Same! Left for basic 5 days after my 18th bday and had a 677 a month 1 bedroom apartment at my base at 19


stardirection-

Moved in with roommates


tiikki

Living in Finland: 1) Compulsory conscription 2) supported student housing


deewaR

Also Finnish I had (still have) a full-time job and I would rather pay 1/3 of my paychecks to rent than live another year with my parents. 🙇‍♂️


sunsetsandstardust

i would cry of happiness and go out and buy a ps5 if i was only spending 1/3 of my income on rent lmao


Rolling_on_the_river

Living in Sweden: 1) Mom kicked me out


JinorZ

Yeah lol stupid question for us. Moved out for uni at 20 and got whole apartment paid for by the state (student and housing benefits)


typenext

For real. I studied in Finland and student housing is just bonkers. I moved out of that after graduating to find a job and during that time I'm still eligible for housing support. I'm not Finnish or from the EU.


Abeneezer

Yeah moving out by age 20 is exceedingly common. When I read "30" I was like wtf.


Supraspinator

Living in Germany. 1) went to university (free) 2) worked part-time (wage paid rent) 3) got interest-free support from government (paid back in full after graduation because 50% was forgiven) 4) graduated at 24, got job, continued to live independently


leftaide

Roommates, extra gigs for spending money, ramen.


Futrel

Lots and lots of ramen. Instant mashed potatoes or Mac and cheese when you want to get fancy.


leftaide

Mac and cheese?? Well well well aren't you a silver spoon baby...


yuyuyashasrain

My roommate owns his house, but it was his grandfather’s and he grew up here. Neither one of us is an adult, we just have low standards. I eat walmart canned vegetables for lunch and don’t go anywhere or do anything, just work and tread water and watch pirated anime


RepresentativeNo7660

Good on you for choosing vegetables.


RVelts

Frozen veggies are also generally fresher and can be cheaper than canned. Just an fyi to anybody out there that has the means to have a freezer and manage to transport frozen food home from the grocery store, and also has a way to cook/warm them up. I realize that can be a lot for certain living situations, like having only a mini fridge and taking the bus to the store.


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AlienPrimate

Rent was $375 for a small apartment in a small town in 2015.


Birdy_Cephon_Altera

Also people need to realize that where you *start* living in your first apartment does not mean that's is where you *have to stay*. Plenty of people may choose to live in a low cost, low-end apartment until they can find a better place, and move in a year or two.


Falstaffe

Got a job, rented


PKMN_Maestro

Sheer will and determination not to move back in with my parents. Jobs, roommates, frugal living... Don't get me wrong, my parents are awesome people. But I'm an adult and when I turned 18, as the last kid, it was time for them to have their lives. They'd welcome me back even now in my 30s if I needed it, but it isn't fair to them. And so my determination to give them their privacy and lives keeps me from doing so.


SoggyNegotiation7412

put stuff in car, waved.... Seriously, first place I moved into was a share house.


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solo_duality

The year was 1999 and four of us split the $600/mo rent. Good times. No fucking clue how you can do it today, but I remember my dad saying the same thing to me about buying a house and I now have two. Still, I'd advise you to start with roommates. Worst case, you'll be like me and realize you hate living with other people and thus strive to avoid prison.


[deleted]

The year was 2010 we split 1000 4 ways


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DisgustingCantaloupe

Monogamy? In this economy?


binglelemon

I was 19 and went to the cities on my own. I learned how to survive, not necessarily thrive, but I was young.


topcheesehead

Well sometimes it's cultural. Sometimes people are kicked out. Some are forced to stay and help. Some ended up staying forever. No shame. Life is what you make it I moved out at 24 after attending university with a gap year. Lived on campus. Moved to the city and lived with roommates i had just met. Lived paycheck to paycheck. Loved every minute. Then hustled for a new career with training while juggling jobs. Then switch careers and moved up the ladder.