Stop mooching off your parents
After reading personal finance blogs for several years now, there is little that I haven’t seen. One of the recurring themes on some blogs is quite disturbing – grown adults who accept / demand an “allowance” from their parents. I’ll cut to the chase – if you’re over the age of 18 and living on your own, it is never, that is, not ever, acceptable to take money from your parents. Birthdays and Christmas would be exceptions of course – as long as the gift giving is mutual.
Many young adults are in a precarious place when it comes to their finances – that’s normal! You go from having not a care in the world to working full time, paying rent, utilities, food, etc etc. It’s natural to struggle for awhile, until you get a feel for how things work. It’s normal to overspend – and even rack up a little credit card debt. It’s not good, by any means – but it’s normal. Just because things are a little tough, doesn’t mean it’s ok to call Mommy and Daddy to bail you out.
Ok, so how do you handle financial trouble?
If you can’t count on your parents, who can you count on? That good looking person in the mirror. If you’re having trouble making ends meet, here’s what you do.
1. Spend less. That means quit eating out, cut your cable, cancel your cell phone, no more magazine subscriptions, whatever. If you don’t need it to live, get rid of it.
2. Get a new job. A better paying job can go a long way to making ends meet.
3. Get a second job. If your first job is solid, get another one. There are more than 40 hours in a week, you know.
4. If all else fails, get a third job. Eat, sleep, and breathe work. If you’re awake, you should be working.
Following these simple steps will resolve just about any financial situation. The best part? You’ll be doing it all on your own – without your parents help. You’re a grown-up – act like it.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Grown up allowances are called PAYCHECKS, and they don’t come from Mommy and Daddy unless you are working for the family business. This kind of entitlement drives me crazy, and I am convinced that if it reigns unchecked it will lead to the demise of our society. I am not exaggerating. We need some insurance that our populace have a work ethic, and that we are able to cut the apron strings.
Jerry
August 15th, 2008 at 1:55 am
I agree 100%. I live in Austin TX and it seems this is the MOOCHING capitol of TEXAS. People here never leave town if mommy and daddy live here. Ask about 85%-90% where mommy lives and they will say here in town. There are people who are 35 and still mooching here.
They just can’t cut the umbellical cord and be adults. Since the majority here is like this, if you bring up mooching you will be verbally attacked and they will just say you are jealous because your parents don’t pay for you. I see them get cars co-signed and paid for(with insurance), credit cards, all the while they are putting on this show like they are trying to make something out of themselves by going to college. In reality its just somthing to say “look mommy I am trying, keep those checks coming”
If it wasn’t for their precious credit cards I dont think too many people around here would have any money. I have seen people pay for a reeses candy with a credit card, $4 subway sandwiches, small items like that. Its ubelievable at how low they are, yet they don’t get called out on it ….WHY….thats right because that is how the majority is so they are in good company. Then if you tell them to get a job and stop mooching they will also act like there is nothing wrong with it. ALL MOOCHERS GROW UP YOU SCUM!!