Society has a lot to say about you if you are still living at home past a certain age. And this seems to be the case for more individuals these days as an increasing number get out of school, loaded with student loan debt, and unable to find a job. Real estate bubbles fueling sky-rocketing house prices, thanks to the Federal Reserve and its low interest rates, also haven't been helping the matter.
Back only a couple of decades ago, it seemed like you didn't need that great of a job and yet you could still afford to get a home and live on your own, but now millions of people are finding it's difficult to get by even when both parents are out in the work force.
My friend Steven just turned 32 and he still lives at home while trying to save up for his own place, and while trying to pay off student loans and other debts. He could technically move out on his own now, he has the ability and funds to, but if he did then he would struggle with a much lower standard of living. Instead of choosing that option, he decides to stay right where he is because that way he can have a higher standard of living; although he'll need to put-up with the negative judgments from others about choosing to still live at home.
For some people they really just can't get along with their families for too much time and for their own sanity and healthy it's probably better that they separate and try to live on their own. But for the families that can get along and work positively and peacefully together as a network, what drawback is there to living at home past a certain age, aside from the negative judgments associated with it? If anything, I see a lot of benefit that can be had from living this way.
For example, my friend Karen and her husband still choose to live at home with her family. They have a beautiful home with lots of room for everyone and there are at the moment 7 people living in the house, because the grandparents live downstairs while the parents and kids live upstairs.
The grandparents are always there to babysit the kids, cook when its needed, and the kids and parents can offer the grandparents help too whenever they need it, like rides to the doctor or grocery store, or maybe help with some yard work. They work together peacefully and voluntarily in order to help each other and they all benefit from it and are able to have a higher standard of living because of it.
It's easy to shame people who still live at home but I try not to be too quick in rushing to judgment because you never know what circumstances brought them there. And for all I know they could be enjoying a much higher standard of living than my own, who am I to judge? I think there can be a lot of benefit to living with family so that you can help one another and it also helps to save potentially hundreds if not thousands of dollars.