A recent Reddit thread is stirring up debate about one of America’s long-held expectations: moving out at 18. The original poster called it “the single biggest destroyer of generational wealth in the US,” and the comment section exploded with both agreement and backlash.
The Cost Of Early Independence
The central argument? When two generations live separately, they double their housing costs: two mortgages, two sets of property taxes, two maintenance schedules. Add in $24,000 a year for daycare because the grandparents live 20 miles away, and the poster says you’re looking at a lifestyle that’s not just expensive but “mathematical suicide.”
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They argue that wealthy families like the Rockefellers and Waltons understand one thing well: keeping capital consolidated builds wealth. “The middle class has been tricked into fracturing their wealth into tiny, inefficient rental units to prove they are ‘independent, ‘” they wrote.
Instead, the poster and their parents bought a multi-generational home. “We aren’t ‘roommates.’ We are a family LLC building an empire.”
A Cultural Divide On Independence
While some praised the model, others saw problems. One highly upvoted comment noted that many young adults move out not for pride, but for survival: “A vast majority of people moving out at 18 are not leaving behind a great home life, and financially responsible parents they would like to share an asset with.”
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Another person recalled being forced out of their home while still in high school: “Despite getting a full-ride scholarship, my mother kicked me out my senior year before I even turned 18.”
Others said the model only works in theory because it assumes that grandparents are not still working and willing to provide childcare for free. “Not all retirees want to be free babysitters for their grandkids after 20 years of raising their own kids,” another added.
A Growing Number Are Choosing To Stay
Despite the criticism, many commenters backed the concept, saying it’s already common in immigrant communities and abroad. “I lived with my parents until I was 31, when I got married,” one wrote. “It allowed me to accumulate a hefty 250K in investments.”
Another added, “This is the norm in Spain. Has been forever.”
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A few pointed to U.S. cultural norms as part of the problem. One commenter said, “We’re a little sexually repressed in this country and would have issues with adult kids doing adult things in our home as parents.”
Is It Just About Money?
Some accused the original poster of reducing family life to a profit margin. The poster didn’t disagree. “Honestly it’s hard to focus on ‘love’ when you’re stressed about rent and inflation every day,” they responded. “Profit margin protects the peace.”
Others pushed back hard. “Your ‘hack’ for ‘generational wealth’… is barely scraping by just to live with your parents forever?” one wrote. Another simply said, “Some things are more important than money.”
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