Hey all, currently I'm 23 and I live at home with my parents in the Bay Area.
I've been working for two years putting away a large chunk of my salary towards making a down payment on my own place. The earliest I can see myself being able to purchase something, probably a condo, is when I'm 26. But I can see that I'd probably be stuck there for the next 5-10 years for the place to hopefully build equity.
I've been driving a 2002 Honda Civic for eight years that's about to die, and I'll probably be driving my dad's 2007 Subaru Outback with 200K miles next. My parents think it's stupid for me to consider a new car (I'm looking at a 2024 Prius after I drive the Outback for a year), think it's stupid to spend money on travel, think it's stupid to rent, or do pretty much anything that doesn't align with saving as much as possible. We're Asian and they did the same thing at my age.
Now that they're middle-aged, it's true that they're better off for it - at least financially. But I feel like they sacrificed a lot of experiences in their 20s and early 30s to build that all up.
I can always make more money, but time is a finite resource and emotional fulfillment doesn't have a number. Dating while living at home has been difficult and travel is pretty much my only escape these days. I'm starting to experience ennui from going through the motions and watching my friends move out and live their life. Once my younger brother moves back in, I'm sure my mental health is going to take another hit.
Basically, I'm looking for thoughts from those who stuck it out saving to purchase a home early. Is the satisfaction that you're getting now, from sacrificing those experiences in your 20s, worth it? And what did you do to cope with being stuck at home? I know the grass is always greener and that I'm fortunate to be in my position either way.
Submitted June 14, 2024 at 12:11AM by Chronos_Champion https://ift.tt/XiOkIHw