Why shouldn’t he have to pay rent to live at home if his siblings did?

Some Gen Zers believe that the only path to homeownership is living with their parents for all of their twenties, and they might be onto something. If your parents can’t gift you enough money to pay for a down payment, and you don’t make enough to save up for it in the timeline you desire, living with your parents might be the only way to own a home before you turn 31. 

There are some downsides to living with your parents long after you start working full-time. You don’t get the same freedoms you would have living alone. It’s much harder to date and start a family of your own if you’re still living at home, unless that is the norm in your culture. You might save money, but living at home is anything but free. It costs you your peace, and for many young adults, that is far more valuable than a thousand extra bucks every month. 

If you can afford to save over $6000 a month outside of your living costs, you can afford to leave the nest and live on your own. Even if you decide to get roommates and live below your means, you will feel much more dignified than someone living with their parents and contributing nothing to the household. The 24-year-old in this story feels no shame about living at home for free because his older siblings were teen parents who lived at home. The difference is that they actually paid rent while living at home.