Bummer Economy? Move Home!

A bleak job market and skyrocketing rents have college grads—even working adults—boomeranging back to their childhood homes, something that's fast losing its social stigma, the Boston Globe reports. About half of adults ages 18 and 24 live with their parents.

One woman, who didn't leave the nest till she got married at 34, wanted her kids to "experience the real world." But when loan payments came due, they moved back in. She charges her 23-year-old daughter $300 for rent, food, and amenities, which some experts say is a good idea. Utility bills have ballooned, privacy is nonexistent, and the kids have lost some independence, but she's still happy to have them home.