Category Archives: Merging Households

Grandma’s Moving In: Why You Should be Glad

grandmaIs it time for grandma and/or grandpa to move in with you? This is a big decision for everyone, and can evoke a lot of strong emotions and stress. We hear a lot about the “sandwich generation”, adults who find themselves caring for their children as well as their aging parents, but this is a difficult time for the aging parents as well. No one likes to give up their independence and their authority. People spend a lot of time dreading this very scenario, looking for ways around it, but here’s the surprising truth: the benefits of multi-generational households far outweigh the risks. Here are just a few reasons to embrace a full house:

Financial: Sharing a home can take financial pressure off of both the aging parents and their adult children. It makes a lot of economic sense to share resources these days, and everyone can usually contribute something. Sit down and talk Continue reading

Merging Households — When a Storage Unit is the Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift

candy-heartThere is a lot of pressure surrounding Valentine’s Day. Sometimes that pressure makes us do crazy things. Like propose. Or break up. Yes, apparently February 10th has officially been designated “Dump Day”, since many couples that would rather have a root canal together than sit through another Valentine’s Day dinner together choose this day to break up.  But on the happier side are the couples that just give in to all the sentimentality of the holiday and decide to tie the knot. According to Time magazine, approximately 220,000 marriage proposals will take place on Valentine’s Day.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the moving van. One of the first tests of the relationship rears its head very early – merging households. This is when “yours” and “mine” becomes “ours”.  Time to take a deep breath and focus on the relationship, not on the stuff. Continue reading