I’m 26, and I’m not saving for a house or planning to move out

[WeCouldBeNice]

And apparently that’s a very unpopular decision amongst certain family members.

I have grown up always listening to my mum and grandmother saying that they regretted not travelling more in their youth. So I’m doing it, before I can have any regrets.

i work a job that pays just under £25k. Moving out would be miserable. I’d exist to pay my bills and nothing more. I am unable to borrow enough to even purchase a flat in my local area. So I’m spending all my money on travelling instead. Short trips. Weekends away and longer European trips next year.

my older brothers are horrified by this (despite both doing it themselves). They think I should be moved out and renting by now.

my dad turned round to them yesterday and asked if they wanted to ever see their daughters struggling and unhappy. They obviously said no, so he asked why they expected that of me. They couldn’t really answer.

theoretically I could take the money I’m putting into my travel savings each month and use it to save for a house. But I’d never get a big enough deposit to allow me to buy anything even anywhere near decent to live in. And I’d then be bound to a mortgage and never be able to do anything other than sit at home.

is it really that bad to do this?

If you’ve got everything sewn up, why are you even here OP?

If you don’t want to listen to the people who have the life experience you lack including posters who made the same mistakes as you, then why bother?

If you’ve got everything sewn up, why are you even here OP?

If you don’t want to listen to the people who have the life experience you lack including posters who made the same mistakes as you, then why bother?

Are you aware that a certain couple of generations tanked the housing market?

Whoops!

Are you aware that your parents are contributing to the housing shortage by buying up properties to let (as holiday homes?), pushing up prices so young people can't afford them?

One of the biggest issues with housing in rural areas is all cheaper homes have been bought up by people to rent them out.

Do you talk to your parents about this injustice?

Mainly by myself, or my brother if he wants to come. I enjoy solo travelling

Are you aware that your parents were indeed part of the problem? Do you think owning 5 houses could have contributed in some way to the problem your generation now face?

@WeCouldBeNice

do you have many friends?

I’m slightly older than you and living with parents currently because despite working full time and earning what should be considered a decent wage, we’re in the big city, and as a single person, one decent wage still won’t get you anything big enough to even swing a cat in. I have however been saving for a deposit for several years, and bought myself a car so that I can move further afield without isolating myself too much hopefully next year.

Whilst I am saving and intending to move because it’s what I want to do, the recent loss of someone I was very fond of who is the same age, just 2 days after they were told they were ill, has put a whole new perspective on life for me. They were saving up to leave their parents place, had concert tickets for next year, were liking album release countdown posts from a musician they liked, excited for an album that they never got to hear. Without trying to make this too deep it pains me every time I think about it that they thought they had so much more time than they did. The point I’m making - having future plans is great but it’s not the be all and end all. Tomorrow isn’t promised and if you are happy with your situation then other peoples opinions shouldn’t matter.

As long as mum and dad are ok then it’s fine. I’d just check that they are happy to house you until older. Don’t assume. They may be wanting to downsize and to travel etc.

I do. They’re too scared to travel without their parents.

Funny thing to accuse people of, I did travel but late teens, early 20s like most of my peers (I'm in my mid 40s) but it depends what you find fulfilling, not everyone finds ultimate fulfillment from 'travelling'. I have other things I'm more enriched by, Literature and music, philosophy, writing. Travelling can add to the enjoyment of those things but for me, it's more a case of, a change is as good as a rest.

As I have said numerous times. They like it. They travel a lot and don’t need to downsize to do so.

Bullshit.

I’m so sorry for your loss ❤️ something has really shifted in my mindset in the last year or so and I do think that life is too short to not enjoy it.

Are you travelling or just going on lots of holidays?

Okay. I don’t know why someone solo travelling is so offensive to you. I’ve tried five times in the last three years to organise trips with them. Every time it’s got to the stage of buying plane tickets and they’ve pulled out because they’re too anxious to go without their parents. So I decided I’d rather do it myself than wait around.

What an odd idea. Why on earth would owning a home “narrow” your life? If you don’t want to live in it you just rent it out.

What? Is this for real, so people that are a similar age to you? My DS is late teens and spent the whole summer travelling along with friends and hia cousins who did similar. This isn't something I've ever heard people in their late 20s afraid to go travelling without their parents!

Solo travelling is not offensive to me (i actually did solo travel, properly). I'm saying it's bullshit that your friends are too scared to go on weekends away without their parents. You're lying.

Are you sure these friends are in their 20s and not - 13? Although to be fair I did my first solo flight at 13 so that wouldn’t explain it either.

Your friends are in their late 20s, live with their parents and are too scared to go on holiday without them?

“Show me your friends and you show me who you are.”

Do you really think that this level of babyishness is typical for 26 year olds?

It makes me really sad. They’re too anxious. I did go abroad with a friend a couple of summers ago and had to talk her down from a meltdown when her roaming didn’t work. She was about to book a flight home until I helped her fix it.

It makes me really sad. They’re too anxious. I did go abroad with a friend a couple of summers ago and had to talk her down from a meltdown when her roaming didn’t work. She was about to book a flight home until I helped her fix it.

No. I’m not.

I'd choose Milan.

At 26?