Watch CBS News

Young Couples Moving Back Home To Save Money For Baby

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - You've heard of college graduates bunking with mom and dad as they look for their first job.

But today, some would-be moms and dads are saving for their new additions in a new way.

"Young couples, when they have a child or when they're planning to have a child, are moving back in with their parents," said Carmen Wong Ulrich, BabyCenter Financial expert,. "Ten percent of young women are staying, living at home with their parents to save money to have children. This is a new trend."

Alexis Kort, her husband Josh and their baby Charlotte moved in with Alexis' parents when they relocated to their hometown.

"You don't necessarily think about it before you have a kid and then all of a sudden you're like 'Wait a second, how do we make this work financially?'," said Kort.

The living arrangement is growing in popularity.

"We were thinking that it would maybe be three months, maybe six months and it turned out to be a year," said Kort.

This trend extends beyond housing. A survey found that nearly 30 percent of new parents get financial assistance from their parents. Ulrich points out that parents who support their children who have children have less time to save for their retirement.

"Supporting grown children is a strain and it can be a strain on your own financial future," said Ulrich.

Experts agree that it is important to keep your savings on track. Ted Beck, President of the National Endowment for Financial Education, has advice for parents giving financial help.

"Have an adult agreement on what your expectations are. So if it's a loan, when are you going to get paid back, what interest rates should be applied to the loan," said Beck.

As for Kort, she was happy to spend so much quality time with her parents and she and her husband have saved enough to buy a new home.

"I hadn't lived at home in 18 years so it was nice to rediscover a relationship with my parents as a parent. I don't think our vision was ever, 'Oh, let's go live with our parents again when we're older'. But you know, it worked out," said Kort.

For couples that get financial help from their parents, Beck suggests putting the agreement in writing to prevent any tension down the road. And he recommends starting small when it comes to saving, set up an emergency fund for unplanned expenses, and then focusing on a longer-term savings plan.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.