From choosing not to take out loans in order to attend a state university, to attending the local community college because you don’t know what university you want to attend yet, college students may find themselves living at home for many different reasons. While you may have some pretty good reasons for opting to stay under your parent’s roof, when your mom won’t stop calling you to see where you are and your siblings are fighting so loud that you can’t study, it might be hard to remember those positives. If you find yourself green with envy thinking about other students with their cute apartments and boundless freedoms, remind yourself that complete independence isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. When it comes down to it, being a college student living at home isn’t all that bad.

For one, you don’t have to pay rent. Those who live in luxurious apartments have to pay for it, and after paying application fees, deposits, and rent, you might not have much money left over for a social life. If you are feeling financially drained after paying the first month’s rent, remember that you signed a legal agreement to continue to pay that same amount for the length of your lease agreement. Along with rent, you are also obligated to pay monthly electricity, water, and gas bills. While the total amount may not seem like that much money at the time, try adding it up over a period of a nine month school year. After looking at the total price tag, having to answer to your parents about your occasional whereabouts may seem like a much smaller price to pay.

In addition, you don’t have to think about groceries. Buying groceries can be expensive and preparing food is time consuming. Although the idea of having your own set of pots and pans to cook with may seem like fun, with all of your academic responsibilities, you may be disappointed with your lack of time to actually use them. College life is hectic and it can be hard to plan meals in between classes and even harder to find a spare moment to go grocery shopping. Nothing is worse than getting home after a long day at school and opening an empty pantry, whereas nothing is better than coming home to a warm meal made by mom.