Rising housing costs and difficulties in funding retirement are leading some millennials and Gen Xers to consider communal living as a potential future for their later years.

A discussion on Reddit addressed whether reaching one's 60s while still working and living with multiple roommates could become a new normal. Participants expressed financial anxiety, with one commenter suggesting that without improvements to the balance between wages and living costs, people could be living with roommates well into their 40s, 50s and beyond.

However, some users expressed enthusiasm for the concept, describing it as a "Golden Girl lifestyle". One commenter, who has lived with a best friend for 10 years, noted that they split household responsibilities and travel together. Another participant envisioned millions of single older women, including those who are divorced, widowed or never married, pooling resources to look after one another.

The financial implications of senior living were also highlighted. A professional working in senior living in Colorado noted that a two-bedroom apartment at their facility costs $6,500 per month. If split between two residents, the cost is $3,250 each, which covers:

• meals
• housekeeping
• transportation
• activities
• maintenance

Broader retirement concerns were raised in the discussion, including a Gen Xer stating they have no savings and a 62-year-old widow who expects to work until she is physically unable to do so. Other participants suggested that retirement might be redefined as having control over when and how much one works, rather than stopping work entirely.