At what age did you leave home?

[Clare]

I was watching Dr Phil today about moochers. He had all these adults kids, some well into their 30's who still lived with their parents and didn't contribute at all to the household :woa: So now I'm wondering what is the average age to move out of home?

[Alysia]

I moved out the day after my 20th birthday and haven't been back since.

[Shanna]

3 days after my 18th birthday :nod:

[gulp!]

I technically moved out at 17 when I went to college, but came back and stayed there for the first two summers. After that, I never lived with my parents again, for any amount of time!

[AmyP]

I was 23.

[Clare]

I moved out for good when I was 24. Between 18 and 24 I travelled a lot, did a lot of housesitting etc but my parents home was my base. I always paid board once I started working though.

[Jessica]

I commuted to college instead of living on campus, and I moved out at 21, right after graduation.

[Dawn]

I moved out right when I got married (the first time....I had just turned 23 yrs. old).

My little sister, who will be 28 yrs. old in Aug. had just moved out from living w/ my parents. They moved to PA. I never considered her a moocher at all, as she has struggled in being a single parent to 2 kids. All the while, going to college to further her education, and now studying for her LSAT's. I'm actually very glad though that she did (finally) move out, but on the other I certainly do understand why it's taken her 'longer' to be on her own.

[Alyssa]

That's a little tough to answer.

I left at 17 for college, but came back after fresh and soph summers. Then after graduation, at 21, I was back for about 6 weeks before my move to DC.

When I moved back from DC, at 25, I was there for about 6 weeks again until my new apartment was ready.

Then the next year, at 26, I moved back in for 8 months until I got married, although 1/2 way through that time, I bought my house. But I played Good Catholic Girl and let Joe move in and live there alone until we got married.

For the record, both of my sisters are living at home now. My youngest sister, at 24, has a condo that is being built now and she may or may not move out after that (she might sell it for a nice profit). My other sister, who will be 30 in less than 2 weeks, has been there for about 8 months - she was living with her BF who got transferred to Japan for 9 months...he's back this Friday. They are looking for houses and are going to be in limbo until then.

Oh, and my 29 year old BIL is living with my ILs. His fiance is 28 and living w/ her parents. Other than college, neither one of them have lived elsewhere, I don't believe. The are getting married next June, and I will not be surprised if they both live at home until then. :rolleyes:

[Nichole]

I left at 18 for college, but then came back home for the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. That was it. I had no desire to move back after that. :lol:

[redhairedgirl]

I was allowed to stay home, provided I was in college, after my 18th. I stayed until the day after my 21st bday - in which I went out and got drunk with my friends before moving across the country to farther my education.
Riding in a car with a hangover for 12 hours is no fun.

[Eva]

I was old (27) but for good reason. My Mom was terminally ill and I was in Nursing school at the time so I stayed home to help take care of her. I was also the only one out of the 3 of us kids who lived in the same province. A year after her death (after I had graduated and started working) I moved to BC.

[Darcy]

I was 22. I went to college and came home during the summer. When I graduated, I worked as an intern for the local soccer team, earning a measly $100 a month, so I really couldn't afford to live anywhere. I met Phil in Feburary and we moved in together in June. :blush: We did live with my parents for a month last year while we were in the middle of buying/selling our houses, though.

[Cami]

I went away to college when I was 18 but spent the summers at home. After I graduated at 22, I moved away for good... for grad school and then work.

My parents never made an issue, never even mentioned, having to move out at a certain age. We (my brother and I) didn't pay rent or anything. I think we were pretty responsible though and helped take care of the house and whatever they needed us to do.

My brother lived at home (commuted to college) until he got married at age 25.

[TtownAnne]

I was 19. Was working full time, paying only slightly less than I found an apartment for, so figured for that extra $100 a month I wanted to live by myself!

[Dawnie]

I was 17 when I left for the Air Force. I move back when I got out at 21 and lived with my parents until I was 26. Moving back was the worst thing in the world but I had no place else to go at that time so I did it then ended up staying too long. Live and learn...

[Suzi]

I was 17 when I left for college, stayed summers in apartments or my sorority house. My parents left the house I grew up in and moved (retired) to Vegas when I was 22, I never lived with them after I left for college.

[marcy]

I left at 18 for college, but then came back home for the summer between my freshman and sophomore years.

Same.

Now, my brother (30) still lives at home. After HS he worked for a while, then went part time to get his degree, and now has been working FT for 2 years? But my parents still make his meals / pack his lunch / iron his clothes.

[Karri]

I moved out when I went to college at age 18. After my freshman year, I moved home for 2 weeks until my apt was ready June 1st, and after that, I never, ever have moved home again :biggrin: I love my freedom, bay-bee!!!

My youngest brother is about to turn 26 and moved home again for the 1 million, 16 hundreth time. He lives there free of rent and my parents provide all groceries. He drives a freakin' 3 year old Audi. Yet, I don't consider him a mooch. :dunno: My parents are the type that would never charge rent or make him buy his own food. However, they're making him help remodel the house :lol:

[Shannan]

I left home before I got married...at 24. While in college...I used my parents house as home base...I commuted back and forth...my dad was not ready for me to leave home yet.

[Kara]

I was at home till I got married...3 1/2 weeks before I turned 19.

[JustJen]

I moved to LA to go to Fashion design school when I was 18. I lived there for all of 4 months before I hated it. I was told I could either suck it and stay in Cali, move home to Oregon or move in with my ExH/High school sweetheart who lived in Arizona and was going to college at my second choice U of A.

I chose option C. Did 3 years of college in AZ, got engaged to ExH then moved home when he finished college. We moved in with my parents for a couple months while we shopped for houses.

[Stacey]

I moved out to go to college at 18. I didn't ever live with my parents again, even for summers.

[bunybomb]

I moved out at 19 and a year later I was back for 3 months......and swore I wouldn't do that again!

[Michele]

I was 18 when I left for college, but I still came home for most of the summers. After graduation I went to Europe for a month, then moved back in with my parents for 2 months while I found a job and an apartment. So I moved out for good when I was 22.

[LISA]

I left home at 14 and placed in a few foster homes ( no I wasn't a bad kid :awink: ) but my sister in law and her husband are a running joke in the family..they both live in his parents basement and have for over 20 yrs!! they have 3 kids and mooch as much as the possibly can :rolleyes: I keep saying it's 'cause possesion is 9/10's of the law and if the inlaws pass away they'll own the house :devil: my sil is a vulture!

[MamaGoofy]

I moved out when I was 19. I moved in with my boyfriend's parents and shacked up with him until I was 26. We did move out and get our own place when I was 22/23.

[MrsPeacefrog]

I moved out the day after I finished highschool at 17. I did move back for about a 6 month periods when I was 20, but soon after my 21st I moved back out again. I couldn't handle not having the freedom.

My sister is 34 in a few months she didn't move out of home till 26, and now has moved back home. She is a serious MOOCH. she pays a pathetic $200 a month for EVERYTHING including food and had the nerve to complain that because my parents are going overseas for 2 months that she wants them to leave her money to pay for food!!!!! (even though my mother has said for her not to worry about the $200 for those two months) :rolleyes: my mother is sticking to her guns and refuses too which I am so proud of!

[Melissa]

I moved out for college but spent my summers at home. Right after graduating (1999), I moved out to live with my then fiance. When the asshole and I broke up in October of 2000, I moved back home. It was terrific! They didn't charge me rent, but I did pay the difference in the electric bill, bought groceries, did all the shopping, and quite a bit of the cleaning.

The room that I used then was built for my grandparents, it was more private than the bedroom that I had when I was younger, and it had its own entrance.

I moved out the summer before I married Reed (July 2002).

[Girlo]

I moved out 2 weeks after hs graduation....at 17yo. :)

I moved back a few times for very short periods of time over the years, but that's it.
- a month 2 different times when I was 18 while I was in limbo between new houses
- the summer after my 2nd year of college....and I worked the whole summer

I guess that's it! I thought there was more.... I can't imagine ever moving back in with my parents....unless it was a matter of living on the street or living with them. I'm another one who likes her freedom and independence. :aok:

[jmlizzy]

I left at 18 for college, but then came back home for the summer between my freshman and sophomore years, also

I then lived with them for a couple of months after college graduation.

[BeckyB]

Wow I was so old compared to you all. I went to college in the city I lived in. I lived at home with my mom till I was 26 or was it 27. I felt badly because she was divorced and would have been left alone if I had left. I paid alot to her so its not like I was queen of the freeloaders.

Man I can not imagine Macie and Matthew leaving at the age of 17 or 18.............just thinking of that makes me depressed. But then again I dont want them living at home as long as I did.

[schwanda]

I moved out for college but lived at home during the summers. The last time I lived at home was the summer after college graduation (I was 21). That fall I moved into my brother's apartment in NYC to finish my pre-med classes. I took over the lease and lived there until I went to med school.

Amanda

[Kimberly]

I left at 18 for college, but then came back home for the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. That was it. I had no desire to move back after that. :lol:


Ditto, ditto and ditto! Shane and I do have two friends that still live at home though. One guy is 31 and the other will be 30 this year. I can't imagine - I would go nuts!

[Dennis]

I was 17 when I left for college. I went home for the first summer but that was it.

[olcott]

I left for college a week after my 18th birthday. I came home for one summer, was miserable, and left for good a week after my 19th birthday.

[Clare]

My sister is 34 in a few months she didn't move out of home till 26, and now has moved back home. She is a serious MOOCH. she pays a pathetic $200 a month for EVERYTHING including food and had the nerve to complain that because my parents are going overseas for 2 months that she wants them to leave her money to pay for food!!!!! (even though my mother has said for her not to worry about the $200 for those two months) :rolleyes: my mother is sticking to her guns and refuses too which I am so proud of!

:woa: She wants them to leave money for food! Geez Dr Phil would have a field day with her!!

My oldest brother is 47 yrs old and still moves in and out of my mother's house :disbelief About 7 or 8 years ago he bought a sailing boat which he was supposed to live on but in reality, you can't really live on a small sailing boat. There isn't a laundry, very limited entertainment (I think he has a tv on board but that's it) and it's very uncomfortable in bad weather. So he spends at least 6 out of 7 nights at my mother's house. He says he's just visiting :rolleyes: My mother complains about it but in reality I think she's glad of the company.

[Mandi]

When I moved to Arizona.. so at 19.

[Stacy]

I lived at home until 6 months before I got married. I was about 26.

Rick lived at home until he was 29.

Neither of us ever had to pay rent or anything.

Both sets of our parents would let us move home in heartbeat if we ever really needed to.

[Michal]

I left home at 18 to go to college in another province. I came back for 6 months when I was 22 before my wedding.

[Nadine]

I was 3 months short of 16 when I started going to a boarding school in Israel. I still went back to my parents' 1-2 a year for a vacation but that's it. At 19 I did a year of social service and when I was 20 I got married and moved to a home of my own.
So I voted 16.

[MrsPeacefrog]

:woa: She wants them to leave money for food! Geez Dr Phil would have a field day with her!!
.

Yep and the really funny thing about all this is she is going to Thailand in November for a 2 week holiday and she earns around $2500 a month and all she pays is the $200 boarding and for her petrol in her car!!!! and she "can't" afford the food bill while my parents are away :rolleyes: makes me physically sick.

She smokes about $400 a month in Cigarettes so my mother told her to quit smoking and buy food that way :lol: Can you see why I can't stand my sister!! the world revolves around her :rolleyes:

I can't believe your brother does that!!!! who the hell visits 6 out of 7 nights :scratch: its laughable!

[Cortney]

I moved out when I was 16. Haven't been back since. (ok, I take that back- we lived with my parents for 2 weeks in between houses when M was 9 months old)

[Ana975]

I left for college at 17 but went home for summers/vacations. When I graduated, I went back home and stayed there until I got married at 25. I wanted to pay my parents rent but they never allowed it. In fact, my mom would give me $20 every Monday for me to buy lunch and I usually brought my lunch to work so I used that as spending money. I felt awful taking the money when I had a full-time job but she made me :lol: I've always been very lucky that I've gotten along well with my parents.

[Theresa]

I left when I got married at 22.

[Strong_Bauer]

I moved out when I was 17. I worked for the summer at a camp and once I came back it was time to go to college.

[Bonnie]

I moved out to go to college at 18, but came home in the summer... I lived at home for the year after I graduated college, when I was 22 while I was applying to law schools... I worked the whole time though... then I moved to San Diego for school and have been here ever since... almost 15 years!

[Barb]

I moved out shortly after I turned 18. I did live with my parents again for a few months when I was 20, after a bad roomate situation, until I could get back on my feet again.

[Kimmy0712]

I lived with my parents until 6 months before i got married. I moved into an apartment ans I wish I would have done it sooner. I was 25. Dh was also 25. i always helped aroundthe house though and help buy groceries and such.

[Kaybee711]

For good when I was 24. My mom would periodically kick me out when I looked at her the wrong way so I was in and out since 12.

[Martian Lullaby]

I moved in with my grandmother when I was 19, then moved to Louisiana when I was 22.