My family moved in with my mother-in-law to save money. She ended up being the best roommate I've ever had.

"A few years ago, my husband and I turned to gestational surrogacy to grow our family. It could cost tens of thousands of dollars, so we wanted to lower our living expenses while saving for it. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law, who had lost her husband a few years back, was living alone in a four-bedroom house. "I have all this space and I would love to have you all so close," she'd said."

"For me, this was a dream come true. Though many shows and movies portray relationships with mother-in-laws as strained and contentious, we'd always had a strong bond. My mother-in-law was a wonderful confidant - and roommate. A mom of two boys, my mother-in-law had long been the only woman in the house. Now, she had a live-in daughter-in-law who loved shopping at Marshalls just as much as she did."

"It was even easier for us to stay up late watching true-crime documentaries and episodes of "Dexter." We'd share meals, too - she'd try to get me to eat mashed potatoes with lots of butter, and I'd encourage her to enjoy quinoa instead of white rice with dinner. Living together, I found myself planning more activities for us than for me and my husband, leading to a shift where she became more of my confidant than her son."

We moved in with my mother-in-law to save money for gestational surrogacy, renting out our apartment to lower living expenses. She had a four-bedroom house after becoming widowed and invited us to live close. Living together created a strong bond; we shared meals, late-night TV, and shopping habits. She helped with the kids and pushed us to keep couple time. She offered emotional support after setbacks and became a confidant, sometimes more so than her son. The arrangement eased finances, provided childcare and companionship, and required mindful attention to how the closeness might affect the marital relationship.

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