My Family Moved in With My Mother-in-Law to Save Money

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Katie Bunton. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Since I gave birth to our now-4-year-old twin boys, my husband has always been the breadwinner. He worked his way up to a leadership position in a finance company, complete with having a high salary.

Still, he felt high levels of burnout, and we only saw him on the weekends. We fantasized about him leaving his intense career, but our lifestyle was dependent on his salary, making it hard to take a step back. We wanted “out” but weren’t sure how to make it happen.

We had our answer at the beginning of December 2024, when my husband lost his job. We knew there would be no way he’d get a job interview right away.

So, we decided to start over — this was our chance to live differently. We moved in with his mom.

We hadn’t always had the easiest relationship

Harry’s mom offered to let us stay in her house until we figured out what was next. Her house would give us plenty of space and privacy.

While the idea appealed, I was nervous. My mother-in-law and I hadn’t always had the easiest relationship. I wasn’t sure what it would be like to live in one house with different parenting styles, and in her space rather than my own.

I was also nervous about telling other people what we were doing. As a content creator, I thought people wouldn’t understand why we were blowing everything up.

But once we decided to take up my mother-in-law’s offer, I got excited about moving in with her. I felt this weight on my shoulders lifted. I could take a deep breath, knowing we were ready to have us while we figured things out.

We sold our house in Sydney within weeks of putting it on the market and moved in with my mother-in-law in Byron Bay. We used a portion of the money made from the house sale to buy a small apartment in Byron Bay and rent it out to earn a monthly income.

Together, we decided that Harry would take a pause from the corporate world and instead be a stay-at-home dad. I upped my hours of content creation and started setting up my own business.

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My kids are obsessed with their grandma

My kids are obsessed with her. They have another person to love them and give them attention. They never have to have a random babysitter take care of them when Harry and I are out.

The kids love seeing her the moment they get home from school. She’s often baked them something as a treat when they run through the door.

Having the kids around has been good for her, too. Previously, she’d lived alone for 10 years. The kids breathed new life into the house. It’s a dream scenario to have her grandkids and 40-year-old son around all the time.

I’ve loved having an extra set of hands to help with dinner or play with the kids while I work. If Harry and I want to sneak away for a date when the kids are asleep, she never minds listening out for them.

I love multigenerational living

Living with her has given me the chance to advance my career. I’ve become the hustler of the family, something I’ve never done before. Her support has helped me to lean into work.

Since my mother-in-law and I worked through the bumps in our relationship years ago, we have had this silent pact to treat each other with mindfulness and kindness. When we disagree, we aim to understand each other’s point of view. We ask for forgiveness when necessary. We give each other space when it’s needed.

While we won’t live with her forever — I am itching to decorate and personalize our space — I have no regrets about this setup. We all love it.

Living together has surpassed all my expectations, and I’ve recently thought that multigenerational living is life as it’s meant to be lived. It’s so much better for everyone.