Obviously, a diet of takeaways every night is quite pricey, so I've saved a fair bit of money in that area. It also helps that it's quite a long walk to the nearest dairy from my folks' house in suburbia, so I can't indulge any of my usual carbonated vices.
3: Increased maturity
The last time I lived at home, I was in my early 20s and very quickly found myself reverting to a whiny teenage state. Although my 14-year-old self has made a few appearances, this time around I've found it much easier to get along with my parents - they're more like elderly flatmates who occasionally ask me for help with computers and iPads.
4: Quality time with parents
Of course none of us are getting any younger, so it's actually a great opportunity to enjoy some quality time with the parental units. We're having much more in depth conversations than the usual dinner-once-a-week could provide.
5: A trip down memory lane
Living in my childhood home means I'm constantly experiencing blasts from the past. Recently, I discovered a huge stack of old exercise books from primary school and enjoyed reading all sorts of bizarre stories I'd written as an extremely strange child. One of them involves New Zealand fighting a brutal war in Canada - don't ask.
6: Insulation
After living in an uninsulated old Herne Bay villa with holes all over the show, it's nice living in a house with insulation that can be effectively heated.
And six reasons it sucks
1: Becoming a teenager again
No matter how hard you try, it's impossible to avoid this one. Although it's not as bad as it has been in previous years, I can still hear the whine returning to my voice - especially when I'm being nagged about something.
2: Being expected to be an on-call computer specialist
Sometimes fixing a printer just isn't on my priority list in the mornings before work, I'm afraid.
3: Lack of space
I've set up a pretty sweet bedroom at the other end of the house, but no matter how much I try to pretend otherwise, it's not really a one bedroom apartment.
4: Home cooked meals
No, I don't want any more boiled potatoes!
5: Bathroom dramas
Somehow, fighting for the bathroom with your parents feels more dramatic than it does with flatmates.
6: Feeling like a burden
I am aware that my presence in the house is not exactly a walk in the park for my folks and it'll always feel a bit weird being an adult at home.
Overall, despite some positives I wouldn't recommend it unless it's absolutely necessary.
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