Written by a guest author.
It’s not an ideal scenario by any stretch of the imagination, but in the current climate it is something that is becoming increasingly common.
However, living with your family is something that can be testing at the best of the times. If it’s your own family, then it’s tricky, but if it happens to be the in-laws then it would be fair to say that the difficulty level increases a notch (or several).
Of course, this tends to be a temporary solution, and for the time being at least it’s all about making the most of the situation. This is the reason behind today’s blog post and we will now guide through some simple hints that might make living with the family that little bit more tolerable for all concerned.
Stay as minimal as possible
This first point is for both the benefit of you and the family members you are residing with. In the case of yourself, the last thing you need is to be losing your own belongings in everyone else’s. It just adds to the frustrations.
Then, when it comes to the hosts themselves, let’s not forget that this is their home. They will go through tough days, and bumping into your belongings on a regular basis isn’t going to do their mood any favors. As such, look into some temporary storage options through a company like Safestore.
Don’t compromise on your car
This next point might sound a little out of the ordinary, but give us time. Most of us have moved in with family for financial reasons, and this means that we are trying to make savings and cuts wherever possible.
Well, don’t allow the car to fall into this category. This is your vehicle that will allow you out of the house, and not tie you to any sort of schedule. There will be times of stress in your shared home, and having the ability to ride out whenever you feel the need is invaluable.
Have an end goal in sight
The last thing you, and your family need, is not knowing when the end is going to come. It’s at this point that we should clarify that sometimes these “house shares” go perfectly well, but unfortunately these cases can be few and far between.
It means that you need to have an end date in sight. Have a plan of when you plan to move out, even if it’s in the distant future. At least then, everybody can be assured that this isn’t a permanent solution, and things will be back to normal eventually.
Pick and choose your moments to help
If you are living with your own family (rather than your in-laws) you can probably gauge this. However, for everyone else, there are times and places to offer assistance. Sure, it might seem like a helpful thing to do, but sometimes people just want to get on with their own lives after a long day at work.
This is one of the reasons you need to clarify your arrangements from the start. Are you going to cook for your host? Or are you both going to try and live your own lives under the same roof?
