Baby Bird Finally Left the Nest

[Time2]

I have a slightly different situation, both of my kids left at 18 to go to college. My daughter finished and got a good job and was doing well for about 3 years, when the company merged with another. Everything changed, many people left, she hung on for a while and then decided she wanted to become a dentist.
My son was doing OK for the first year, he had moved in with his sister near the university, but then she married and he was on his own and floundered. He dropped out for a year then, got serious and he went back and is now in his last term.
All of this to say, my daughter is 28 my son is 25, We are paying my both of the kids tuition, my son's rent and spending money. (he has earned some money working while in school) We should be done supporting him in just a few months, my daughter still has a little over 2 years of school left
before she graduates.
We are lucky in that we over saved and these expenses will just come out of their inheritance. I feel lucky that even with all the spending of our nest egg we still added 2% last year.

Ya, just because they leave the house doesn't mean they leave the dole.

 

[bclover]

lol, so my two sons got their first apartment together last May. they actually only moved two miles away so I swear I see them more now than I did when they were here. Their apartment does not have a washer and dryer so they come home to wash.

Anyhoo, it's a dump and of course they think they should be living in a penthouse down in center city Philadelphia.

I've pretty much got them out of my pocket except for car insurance. I have all 3 cars on my policy. I think this year will be the last for that.

My big problem is my kids are not savers ***grrrr*** I had to beat them over the head to make sure they signed up for their 401K. so unfortunately no matter how much I try to tell them about saving for a rainy day, I get the feeling they are going to have to learn the hard way.

 

[blueskyk]

I had to beat them over the head to make sure they signed up for their 401K.

Bless you for suggesting and then “following up” on starting a 401K plan! My Dad did the same and it was the tipping point for saving for retirement for me.

RIP and THANKS Dad!

 

[Megg1141]

Wife and I had set up two college funds for both our kids. Our oldest (son), never took to school and dropped out in the middle of his first year. He worked a few restaurant type jobs while still living at home. I explained to him our job was to prepare him for adulthood. If he felt that he needed no more education, then he was ready to start his adult life. Not wanting to pay us rent he moved out to share an apartment with a friend. Daughter always the go-getter, moved out soon after high school to an apartment with her best friend. She started and finished college along with finding her future husband. She never looked back and is currently married with our grandson and living in their first home. Son moved back home after losing a couple of jobs in the great recession. I felt our son who had no motivation or any good job would live here forever. With the real estate market depressed all around us I offered a deal to my son. I told him he still had his education funds set aside. I would not give him the money to spend on useless stuff but would make the exception to go towards a house. He found a nice two bedroom house on an acre of land. His house payment is comfortable with the work he does now ten years later. If he was still renting he would be struggling to make rent on his own. Both my children are living in their own homes, so life is good. Our home sure feels so much bigger now.

 

[ckelly78z]

My DS will be moving to a nice townhouse appt. with a good friend tomorrow. He is thrilled, we are thrilled...looking to finally be able to get a budget around, and not have endless spending.

I am looking forward to a quieter house, a MUCH lower electric, and food bill, more space in the cramped driveway, less people competing for a bathroom/kitchen space when busy, and less attitude.

He has a full time job with benefits now, so at the end of this year, I can save another $20 a week not having him on my health insurance, and about $800 a year in car insurance.

My parents said when my brother and I moved out, all of a sudden, they had excess $$ to spend on traveling/dining out/new cars.....looking forward to that.

 

[Time2]

I installed an electric meter on my water heater, and kept track of electric usage. When my daughter moved out the usage went down 49%. That was almost half and we still had me, my wife and son at home.

 

[ckelly78z]

I installed an electric meter on my water heater, and kept track of electric usage. When my daughter moved out the usage went down 49%. That was almost half and we still had me, my wife and son at home.

My son takes a daily (sometimes semi-daily) "hour shower", and keeps our new water heater, and salt water softner running at full tilt most of the time. We love him, but OMG !

 

[ugeauxgirl]

My son takes a daily (sometimes semi-daily) "hour shower", and keeps our new water heater, and salt water softner running at full tilt most of the time. We love him, but OMG !

Our son does this too. He thinks running out of hot water is his signal to get out. It makes my DH crazy, especially when someone else has to take a cold shower.

 

[rk911]

Our son does this too. He thinks running out of hot water is his signal to get out. It makes my DH crazy, especially when someone else has to take a cold shower.

ummm...this seems like a simple thing to stop. your house, your rules.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I pick my battles. It drives DH crazy. It doesn't bother me much. He could be doing much worse things than using too much hot water.

 

[aja8888]

I pick my battles. It drives DH crazy. It doesn't bother me much. He could be doing much worse things than using too much hot water.

Sounds like it's time to install a tankless water heater and get rid of the old tank!