A few weeks ago, Dave Ramsey, the financial advisor and radio show host, said, “They’re [ Gen Z and millennials] just awful. I mean, their participation trophy, they live in their mother’s basement, and they can’t figure out why they can’t buy a house because they don’t work.”

His assumptions are wrong according to Brownie Bitez, a social media creator giving Gen Z advice on adulting and moved back home with her parents to save money a year ago.

“We should be looking at moving back home with our parents as a way to get a head start in life and less as a shameful thing. It’s not our fault that the economy is the way it is. Gen Z is just doing the best we can,” Brownie Bitez told Reckon.

The youngest generation of adults like Brownie Bitez is facing financially uncertain times with a high cost of living, student loan debt repayments resuming and historically low wages causing many of them to make tough life choices like moving back home with their families.

According to U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023, more than half (56%) of all young adults aged 18 to 24 lived with their parents, along with 16% of those aged 25 to 34.

Brownie Bitez moved in with her parents in May 2023. After graduating college last year, she landed a job in New York and quickly decided that she wouldn’t be able to live financially comfortably in the city, so she asked her parents if she could live with them while she saved money.

The 22-year-old packed her bags, asked her job if she could relocate and headed to Charlotte, N.C., to live with her parents. For the past year, Brownie Bitez has turned her social media into a viral hub with tips and personal stories on moving out or relaunching from her parent’s home.

As of the start of April, Brownie Bitez has moved out of her parent’s house but continues making digestible and viral videos encouraging other young people to do the same.

Reckon spoke with Brownie Bitez about the way she saved money by moving home with her parents, when she relaunched and how her social media is teaching other Gen Zers to do the same.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

How do you feel like documenting your journey of living with your parents and working to relaunch is helping other Gen Zers to do the same?

A lot of people my age obviously relate to wanting to move out of their parent’s house, so once I started posting videos and sharing advice about my own journey of moving out, I think it made a lot of people see how realistic it is for them to do it too.

I’ve had people message me, thank me and say, “This was the kick in the butt I needed!” or “Thank you for the advice, I’m moving out now.”

I think people want to move out but it’s very common that if someone is moving out of their parents’ house – it’s the first time they’ve ever done it. They oftentimes don’t know where to start and likely don’t want to ask their parents how to move out of their house. So I know that being able to see someone else do it and give digestible advice about it is helpful.

What’s the most important piece of advice for someone attempting to move out of their parent’s house?

Besides having a budget, because everybody knows that price is a barrier to moving out, I would say your move shouldn’t be dependent on all the factors being perfect.

For example, you don’t have to pick the perfect apartment or the perfect timing because things will go wrong.

I think where people go wrong with moving out is their mentality, they should believe that they’re capable. If they have the money and can afford then the next part is realizing that they are capable within themselves to do anything – including moving out. Even with my move, so many things went wrong, but I’m not discouraged about it because I was expecting things to go wrong.

I believed I was capable as much as I believed that moving out of my parent’s house was the right decision for me.

What has been the hardest and the most rewarding thing about living with your family?

The hardest (thing) is definitely the different personalities and the fact that the last time I was living with them, I was a minor in their care and now I’m an adult. I have four years of college under my belt, I’ve had freedom and I haven’t had to tell them where I’m going.

They knew nothing about what I was doing day to day and now they do. So I have had to break that mold and make sure that they understand I’m an adult.

But the most rewarding part has been spending time with my family, especially with my younger sisters because we have such a big age gap. When I left for college they were in elementary and middle school, but now they are teenagers, so we have been able to build more of a sisterly bond.

I’ve even been able to bond more with my parents and I have really grown to appreciate that this will probably be the last time that I would be seeing them every single day. So I try to take advantage of hanging out with them a bit more than I did when I was a teenager.

What’s something encouraging that you would say to other young people who might feel shameful about living at home with their parents?

Take it at your own pace. I felt that way too and it’s hard to break out of that. Remember that this is the most money you’re going to save in your life and the most disposable income you’re going to have.

For those that feel shame, it’s hard times everywhere, we’re damn near in a recession and you’re not in this place because you’ve done something wrong.

America is so individualistic. That’s what can brew that shame because living with your parents is so normal around the globe. That shame and this individualistic society are definitely a product of capitalism.

Everyone is truly on their own journey, so don’t think that just because someone’s not living at home their life is somewhat magically easier.