The pros and cons of
It’s no secret that student living can be expensive. Between balancing budgeting and bar hopping, adjusting to this new chapter of adult life can be difficult to get to grips with.
But with more and more students preferring to live at home with parents, there’s no need to feel like the odd one out if you decide that the best thing for your finances is to skip the student house and instead head back to your childhood bedroom—in fact, 2023 saw that 18% of first years chose to live at home with their parents instead of in halls (according to Save the Student’s National Student Accommodation Survey), up 6% from the previous year.
Still, while living at home instead of student halls or a house share can be a great way to save money, we know that you might be worrying about missing out on that authentic student living experience. That’s where we come in.
We’re here to help you weigh up the pros and cons of living at home during university, all so you can decide on what’s right for you and make the best choice for both your wallet and your wellbeing.
The pros:
There’s more to living at home than meets the eye.
1. Save money
Looking to cut your expenses? Without a doubt the number one benefit of living at home (and let’s be real, probably the main reason you’re considering it) is that you’re more likely to have a better chance at saving money as a student.
For one thing, you don’t have to worry about paying over the odds for rent (provided that your parents act as lenient landlords, of course).
What’s more, you won’t have to worry about setting up household bills or trying to split them among your housemates. Your parents/carers already have them setup, and even if they ask you to contribute, you’ll probably be paying less than you would if you lived away from home.
It’s a no brainer, especially because lower living costs mean you’ll have more money to save for things like future holidays or your first car.
2. Home comforts
Living with your parents also means you’ll benefit from all the home comforts that you’re used to. Chances are your parents will buy nicer food than you’d choose to buy if you lived alone, not to mention higher-quality toiletries (good toilet roll, anyone?). You’ll be able to spread the higher end margarine on your toast in the morning—rather than a cheaper spread that doesn’t quite hit the spot.
Even better, in some cases you’ll probably benefit from the occasional home-cooked meal and laundry help! What’s not to love?
3. Easier to focus on your studies
You might be surprised to hear this, but living with your parents could make a particularly more productive studying environment than living with housemates. Think about it: your parents are more keen on you revising than on partying, so the chances of being dragged out for a quick pint that lasts until the early hours of the morning are pretty much non-existent when you’re at home
If you’re determined to get top grades or you’re studying a demanding course, living at home might help you stay focused on your studies.
4. Support network
If you’ve got a good relationship with your parents and/or siblings, then living at home might work out well for you.
University can be a lot of pressure and stress. Living with a built-in support network can mean uni takes less of a toll on your mental health.
The cons:
Living at home isn’t right for everyone. It’s essential that you understand the disadvantages of living at home during university, so you don’t end up feeling like you’re missing out.
1. Less independence
Moving out of the family home is an incredible step, and for most people, it can feel like the start of your adult life.
If you continue to live at home while at uni, you might feel like you’re still a child, or even worse, your parents might treat you like one!
2. Lack of freedom
You’ll probably have less freedom living with your parents than living in student accommodation. Your parents might give you a curfew, and you’ll have to give them a heads-up if you’ll be staying out late. They may well want to know where you’re going, who you’re meeting, and when you’ll be home. Compared to the complete freedom of living independently, you might feel a bit stifled.
Plus, having friends over could be awkward, while inviting a partner over to spend the night might be a complete no-go!
3. Harder to make friends
One of the best things about living in halls of residence in your first year is a group of built-in friends. It’s super easy to form close friendship groups when you live with them 24/7.
Living at home means meeting people will be more challenging, and you’ll have to put in more effort to attend social events. This might be difficult for you if you’re most excited about having a thriving social life at uni.
4. Further from campus
First-year accommodation tends to be on or close-by to campus. Living at home means using uni facilities, and joining societies and sports clubs is much harder. You might have to hang around on campus if you’ve got a gap between lectures—you can’t just pop home for a nap like other first years!
A long commute to university can be a real downside, especially if you’re relying on lengthy and unreliable public transport. Plus, this can make nights out almost impossible unless you stay at a friend’s house.
How Split The Bills can help
If you’re considering living at home because you’re worried about rising household bills and the stress of setting up utility accounts and direct debits, we can help.
Split The Bills is a bill-splitting service that takes all the hassle out of shared household bills. We set up the utility and manage the direct debits, so you don’t have to.
You can customise your package to include all the bills that are relevant to you. Water, gas, electricity, TV licence, and even broadband—we cover them all. The bills are then split equally among your housemates, and you just pay one neat monthly bill!
If you want more information about our service, you can find out more about how we work or get in touch with our friendly team!
Electricity. Gas. Broadband. Water. TV Licence.
Want to find out more?
Interested in splitting your student household bills rather than splitting up friendships? Check out Split The Bills now and make life easier for everyone in your shared student house.
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