Mom and Dad I'm back!

Moving in with parents when you have already left home

These are my parents. They were kind enough to let us move in with them to save some money.

I have been wanting to do this blog post for a while and even while I was living there I wrote down things I liked and maybe didn't like about moving back in. 

I want to share my experience because I feel a lot of young (and maybe not so young) 

people are doing this to save some money. 

Would I recommend it? Bottom line yes. 

You do save a ton of money not only in rent but if you share food together its much easier there as well.

But for how long? That is where it totally depends. 

Maybe a list of pros and cons will help? And two different scenarios.

I want to do the cons first because I like ending on a happy note. 

Cons:

Privacy

Dual Parenting

Family Drama

Those are really it. I think the biggest problem was the "dual parenting". My parents want to be grandparents. And rightly so. They want to spoil him and not have to discipline him. Which is fine when you visit your family on weekends but when you have grandparents and grandkids together everyday you can't have this. 

It was definitely hardest on me. Thayne literally hated me while we lived there. I did the disciplining and all the other things he did not like. It really hurt me. 

It also made me not like my mom because Thayne liked her better (sounds silly but have your only child hate you and you will know what I mean)

Which then hurt our relationship.  

BUT 

I do have a friend living with her parents and she has a daughter about the same age as Thayne. 

She loves living at home because her parents help with the parenting.

Its all about if you can handle some conflicting opinions and work through it.

I also think that if both you and your spouse are working then these are eliminated. 

My parents were home most the time with me and probably is what was so hard.

Onto the Pros:

First of all you save money

Reconnect with family-my sister is a senior and there is a 6 year gap and it was great to re-get-to-know her.

Get help with children

Family Meals Together- something I always enjoy

Able to do more things

We had a lot of fun with my family. They like to do a lot of things and invited us to be apart of it. 

For instance; boating, going to the gym, doing races, going skiing, ect.

We were able to do baby swap and spend time together and doing things we loved. 

I really felt like I re met my family I enjoyed being close (we still live close). 

Overall it was a great experience and we are so grateful we were able to do it. 

To make living at home work for you I would set everything up before you get there. 

If you have children the rules you have for them. 

Privacy rules like if our bedroom door is closed and its after 9:00pm DON'T OPEN THE DOOR

(apparently this was a rule that had to be said)

Things like that. I think the less you are at the home the easier it is to stay longer. We did six months and that worked out perfect for us. I love my family and again am so grateful we got to live with them. 

I am even more grateful that they still love us and try to come visit as much as they can.

Have you considered moving back in with mom and dad to save money? 

Haircuts

Am I allowed to blog more than once a day?

Well I am!

Thayne is finally down for a nap and he slept in this morning so I got my chores done early!

This is my favorite.

Adam told me Thayne's hair was just too long. Next thing I know Adam is setting up shop.

He cut Thayne's hair all on his own!

This is Thayne's 5 or 6th hair cut at 13 months!

This is one way we save money. I have been cutting Adam's hair since we have been married and now

we cut Thayne's hair. This saves so much!!!

Pretty soon when I need a hair cut... well I am even going to try to cut my own.

Just to give you an idea of how much cutting your mans hair can save...

The cheapest hair cut I have been able to get adam at is $15.00 (total tip, tax, cut everything)

He likes his hair cut about every month BUT when he was paying for it he would let it grow out pretty bad.

About every 3 months. that would be 4 times a year.

4x15=

$60

Now add our now fast growing hair Thayne (I think kid cuts are cheaper.) Shall we go with $8.00?

$60+ 4x8=

$92.00

Yikes! We got our clippers for $13.00 less than one visit to the barber for Adam.

We have been using over 3 years saving us $180.00 (thats just Adam).

I have had a few friends that have been chicken to cut their husbands hair but after trying out our clippers

have been convinced otherwise. Its super easy.

Do you cut your spouses/kids hair?

What about your own?!?!?



How simplifying got me an iPad

Here is my ipad. I didn't go into debt to get it or sacrifice any of our paycheck.

I did it guilt free.

How? 

I simiflied.

I had to work hard to do it, but it happened.

I sold some things on ebay.  

Things you probably have and don't use.

We had 1 old iPod that we weren't really using

and 1 iPod touch we were using BUT

we figured that once we had the iPad we

wouldn't really need the iPod touch.

(we still have one old one for running don't worry)

We also sold a tablet and

Old cell phones (yes people buy them)

We got a case, a screen protector and the original 32GB iPad.

With even a little money to spare.

Things that were cluttering our home are now gone and now we have

our iPad.

The reason I tell you this is because part of my organizing has been well,

spring cleaning.

But I've been able to get money back from things cluttering my life.

Don't be afraid to simplify.

Another thing I've been simplifying is my closet...

don't judge its not perfect

If you've ever watched HGTV when a couple goes into the master room closet 90% of the time you'll hear the wife say, "Now where are you going to put YOUR clothes?" and laugh.

Every time I hate it. You really have that many clothes?

Then I realized that Adam and I didn't share a closet before.

I wanted to change that and taking a lot of courage I started noticing my favorites.

I started to eliminate the clothes that weren't my favorites. I started getting money back...

so I got better quality clothes, then I got rid of more and so far

this is what I have. Probably still too many clothes.

These are dresses, blazers, and suits

These are Adam's shirts

These are my shirts AND skirts!

(are you proud?)

I haven't missed any clothes at all. I love what I have so much more

and now am able to mix and match better because I actually can see what I have.

My system of getting rid of clothes is wearing them "in order".

Meaning whatever 3 shirts are first are my choice of the day.

If I don't feel like wearing the first I go to the second...

if not the second the third.

If I choose the third one I think really hard on the first two.

Why did I not choose them?

Maybe I really just don't want to wear them that day.

After 3 times "skipping" a shirt I try it on.

Maybe its just not in season... maybe... I plum just don't like it.

Then I get rid of it. Via ebay or D.I.

Simple as that.

Don't worry not a minimalist just simplifying!

P.S. those are wooden hangers... and I love them.

Welcome to the Basement

Decorating, Apartment Living and Simplifying

First decorating... I received two of these super fun colored mats from a neighbor.

These are my inspiration for wanting some color in our little place.

Remember we are in a basement right now so everything is super open

I don't know if you can see the Bumbo on the kitchen table but it

is the same color!

Super drab... lots of great traditional things but no color

$50.00 later...

We have some color! I bought 3 pillows, the tray and the color photo book,

and the little glass bowl with pebbles.

oh and bread.

This is up on the media center. The pencils and markers add color as well as the

orange storage lids

Here is a close up of the decor on the table

Apartment living can be rough. Here is an idea to make it a little easier

Kitchen Island

Have you thought about one of these?

So worth the money.

One thing we never have in apartments is enough counter space/pantry storage

It rolls around and looks great up against the wall to put away.

We love it!

Part of my simplifying is getting rid of excess things

These are all the wisks, wooden spoons, serving spoons, spatulas, ect. I have.

Don't take up a lot of space and look great in the kitchen.

What do you think of getting everything in so far?

We have only been here for a week so we have a long way to go.