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Dear Bolton Carley,

I just graduated from college, but I don’t have a job yet.  My parents said I could move home with them, but I haven’t lived at home since I left for college.  I like them, but I don’t want to live with them anymore.  The only problem is that I don’t have any money to live on my own either, and I already have a million student loans that I’ll be paying off for years.  Is it giving up to live at home?

Signed,

College Grad

Dear College Grad,

First off, congrats on graduating!  You survived the freshman 15, the I.D. checks at the bar, the cafeteria food, the 8am classes, and all the fresh meat to get a degree.  That’s a huge accomplishment.  Unfortunately, now your reward is trying to find a job to pay Aunt Fanny Mae (Damn her!) back all her dough instead of baking your sorry ass on a beach somewhere.  No one is happy about that, but you gotta do what you gotta do, and that includes moving home if you don’t want to add to your debt. 

I highly doubt it will be as bad as you think.  For one thing, won’t it be nice to have mom doing your laundry, making you hot roast beef sandwiches, and picking up your favorite pop at the grocery store?  (Oh, does that only happen at my parents’ house?  Sorry.) 

Seriously though, your parents are used to life without you, they probably aren’t any more thrilled than you are about the situation. But that’s what families do.  They work together for the best possible outcome.  And right now, your best possibility is to live rent-free with the gracious people who offered you a place to stay while you find the perfect job.  It’s not like you have to be there all day every day.  You can leave the house and go places.  You’re not 14 and driver’s license-less.   Just remember to thank your parents often, limit details about your personal life in front of them, and scour every internet site and newspaper and billboard till you accept an offer and kick back to watch Netflix in your new apartment.

Bottom line:  Giving up is permanently hiding in your parents’ basement with your cat and video game collection.  Wisely living rent-free for a few months is a whole ‘nother deal.

bc