[UncleWede]

Got married at 25 and moved into an apt. right on the beach. Less than a year later I was getting divorced, and mom begged me to come back home. Simply cried myself to sleep at night and eventually got over it enough to function again. Moved off the beach about 6 years later when I had a son, been with #2 since 90's

[Watching The World Burn]

Went off to university at 18 and never moved back in (except for maybe my first summer at university). Great relationship with my parents though, was never the issue, I was just either in school or was working the other four months away from my parents, so I just never moved back in.

[GarySL]

21, stayed in Humboldt that summer and never returned. Mom was in a trailer then so 'home' was never the same. At 22, got a summer job with Redwood National Park that turned into a regular job after graduation and stayed in NorCal ever since.

[Pauly Wauly]

19.

[c1pher]

Going by the responses so far seems like a lot of young Americans lift themselves up by their bootstraps.

[T0RM3NT]

17, when I joined the military. Turned 18 while in boot camp.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Esteban

My mom died when I was 17. My girlfriend (who was living with us at the time) and I got an apartment when I turned 18. Worked for a large engineering/construction company and they paid my way through school. Worked for the same company as an engineering planner/scheduler until I retired in my early 60s. Also met my one and only wife at this company and we married at 20yo. Will be 50 years that we've been together this July.

Got us beat by a couple of years... Just turned 48 in January.

[ash_schwin]

At 18, moved away from home when I went to college. Was blessed to have my parents pay for my higher education. Have supported myself after graduating.

[M-technik-3]

June of last year will mark 40 years and to answer the question at 18 but I was told by my pseudo step father at 16 I was no longer welcome so I moved out for 8 months and moved back in when he moved out.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by c1pher

Going by the responses so far seems like a lot of young Americans lift themselves up by their bootstraps.

For me, it wasn't really a choice. My parents couldn't afford to pay for me or my education, so I got my first job at 14 or 15 and never looked back. I didn't know there was such a thing as a student loan so I just took extra time to get through college and kept a full time job too to pay for it. On the plus side, I got out of college with 10 years of work skills and no student loans to pay off. No regrets.

[M-technik-3]

Times were different for us turning 60 soon. Many of us worked because we wanted a go-kart or dirt bike or what ever our parents could not or would not spend their hard earned money.

My Mom was a very hard Blue collar worker and she had come from a white collar family. I learned that early if I wanted something I needed to earn it.

[cmyx6go]

23. When I got married. I wasn’t allowed to move in with him until we were married. You know you’re old when…

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Times were different for us turning 60 soon. Many of us worked because we wanted a go-kart or dirt bike or what ever our parents could not or would not spend their hard earned money.

My Mom was a very hard Blue collar worker and she had come from a white collar family. I learned that early if I wanted something I needed to earn it.

I remember when I was 16 and a few of my friends, including my best friend, were getting cars for their birthdays, or graduation for the older ones. I whined for a couple/three months and I thought I wore my dad down when he asked me if I wanted a car. I emphatically said YES!!! He said, well then, go get a job and buy one! About a year and a half later I bought my 1st car; a 1965 (really a 64 1/2) Mustang with the 225 horse, 4bbl, V8 and 4-spd manual!

[BWBike]

I moved out and got my own apartment when I was 18. Got married six months later. My first child was born 12 months after that.

[bucketfoot]

19 or 20. It was too long ago to remember which for certain.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

23. When I got married. I wasn’t allowed to move in with him until we were married. You know you’re old when…

Same here. I was 23 and my bride was 21. We did not live together first. I guess that does put me on the "you know you're old" list too.

We've been married for 52 years and counting. It's all good.

[RickFLM4]

Moved from to Miami for school when I was 18 but went home for the first three summers. Got a summer internship at Ryder after graduation / before starting a semester of grad school so that’s when I’d say it was permanent (age 22).

[Llarry]

The range of ages for the various EU countries is interesting. Sweden is an outlier at under 18 but there are quite a few clustered around 30 years old.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

For me, it wasn't really a choice. My parents couldn't afford to pay for me or my education, so I got my first job at 14 or 15 and never looked back. I didn't know there was such a thing as a student loan so I just took extra time to get through college and kept a full time job too to pay for it. On the plus side, I got out of college with 10 years of work skills and no student loans to pay off. No regrets.

I started work at 14 1/2 also at a local convenience store. There were 4-5 months just before I joined the Navy where I didn’t work but other than that, I’ve been working ever since. I’m a good little cog in the machine.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I remember when I was 16 and a few of my friends, including my best friend, were getting cars for their birthdays, or graduation for the older ones. I whined for a couple/three months and I thought I wore my dad down when he asked me if I wanted a car. I emphatically said YES!!! He said, well then, go get a job and buy one! About a year and a half later I bought my 1st car; a 1965 (really a 64 1/2) Mustang with the 225 horse, 4bbl, V8 and 4-spd manual!

This resonates with me. When I graduated from high school, my parents gave me a watch. My mother said something about we really should get you a car but... I think my dad had the same attitude that yours did.

[UPSROD]

18!

[NSXR]

Still livin' there, what's it to ya?