One of the most exciting things about going to college is moving out. After 18 years, you finally get to live on your own and make your own decisions.

No parents, less supervision, more control, everything a teenager/20 something could want. Before I started school, I was most excited to move out and live away from my family. I love my parents, but I wanted to do things on my own terms.

One of my first thoughts was “I can eat cake for breakfast, sleep through lunch and have margaritas for dinner!” After some unforeseen circumstances, I spent my first semester of college living at home and now I’m a 22-year-old junior still crashing in my childhood bedroom, complete with ballerina snow globe and bowling trophy from the 1st grade.

While there are some downsides to living at home, Here are some of the best things about living at home while in college:

1.Financial Savings

Room and board is not cheap. At most schools, housing can run upwards of $14,000 (That’s 14 iPhone Xs or 2800 boxes of thin mints). Being at a state university, room and board is more than double the cost of tuition. It is an almost unreasonable price so you can live in a small room with someone you’ve never met and share bathrooms with the entire floor. Even if you live in the off-campus housing when you’re allowed to, the costs can still be astronomical. Yes, your “roommates” are your parents and siblings while living at home, but you will be saving a ton of money. Just imagine all the Thin Mints you can buy.

2. Food

I’m from an Italian family, so our number priority and concern is almost always food. My dad made Italian bread for a living. We grew up making pizza, gnocchi, and biscotti instead chocolate chip cookies. That being said, homemade meals are one of the perks of living at home. There is always something in the pantry beside ramen noodles. You can bring homemade leftovers for lunch instead of smuggling fries from the dining hall the dorms. It seems like everyone complains about their meal plan at some point in their college career. Living at home avoids that issue completely while saving even more money. My mom’s cooking will always beat dining hall entrees or microwaved pizza.

3. Car Privileges

Most schools don’t allow freshmen to have cars on campus. Some campuses don’t let any undergraduates have cars. I’m lucky enough to have my own car. This makes getting around town so much easier. I don’t have to wait for a bus back to campus or run around trying to find someone who can give me a ride. Even if you don’t have your own car, you can work out a deal with your parents to use the car. Driving, especially in a residential area, is a lot easier than public transportation. I can run my errands, go to class, run to target and come home without waiting for a bus. Being able to get around independently is a huge perk or living at home.

4. Cleanliness

Let’s be honest, dorms and communal bathrooms can be gross. If your roommate isn’t as clean as you are, it can lead to a disastrous year. As someone who is a bit of neat freak, I was constantly worried about a dirty or untidy roommate. Living at home solves that problem. I can keep my room as clean as I want. I don’t have to worry about foot fungus in the shower or mold growing on my roommate's limes from last semester. There is always toilet paper in the bathroom, I can eat out of a bowl instead of pyrex measuring cup and there won’t be dust 2 inches thick on one half of the room. Cleanliness is next to Godliness and living at home makes that much easier

5. Everything that makes it Home

Living at home comes with a lot of little perks that you sometimes forget about. I’ve come home to my laundry done because my mom knew that I was too stressed to worry about clean tee shirts (She’s quite literally a saint). Sometimes my dad will hand me a $5 bill so I can buy Starbucks instead of having to make my own coffee (He’s also a saint). I can hang out with my dog as much as I want. My brother can make sandwiches like a pro and sometimes he’ll give me half. My whole family will sit down and commiserate together while watching the Giants or Yankees game. It’s little things like these that make living at home so worth it.