With our debt swallowing up our salaries, is it really a bad move to move back home with our parents? Cutting back on rent alone could save you over a grand, not including the fact that your food costs will seriously decline. The idea of telling people that I moved back in with my parents makes me feel somewhat like a failure, but instead I keep hearing, “good for you.” It’s sort of like when we thought that spending the beginning of our college years at a community college was something to shy away from, until we saw how much tuition at those big four-year schools cost.

Besides getting rid of a some major financial burdens, there are so many reasons why I love living with my parents. My dad still insists on driving me everywhere because he’s afraid of having me behind the wheel. Chauffeur? Check. My mom fully encourages me when it comes to expressing my emotions whether it’s giving my room better feng shui or taking a few mental health days. Life coach? Check. Oh, and if I ever do need to escape, my sister has an apartment just a few miles away with Gossip Girl always saved on DVR.

Instead of giving into the message that has been given to our generation, which is to treat ourselves to the finer things in life, maybe we all need a modest kick in the ass. I don’t think I really needed a wake-up call considering that a small original frozen yogurt with bananas and chocolate chips at Red Mango was a treat to me, but coming back to my roots has helped me enormously. And I’ve only been here for four days.

Running into old classmates at the local watering hole, nearly all of them are living at home or moved back recently. They’re saving money, figuring out what to with that Psychology degree, or going back to graduate school.  “Are you ready to answer all the questions?” they asked me. “You know, where are you going, who’s going to be there, when are you coming back, and oh, can I come?” I couldn’t help but laugh and ask which parent wanted to come out and why they weren’t there.

Moral of the story: don’t stress about living at home. You’re saving money and giving yourself time to really think about what you want to do for the rest of your life. Mom and Dad might not admit it, but I’m pretty sure they love that you’re finally spending time with them.

For more stories about living at home, check out livingwithmyparents.com.