<human>: My boyfriend and I have been together for quite some time and we have started to talk more and more about living together and having a family together in the past 5 months. It is all super exciting to think about but we also both agree we want to do all we can to prepare ourselves before taking the next step of getting a house together. 

He has been renting a room from a friend and living on his own for the past 2 years. He always tells me how much he learned about responsibilities and surviving on his own. Me on the other hand, I have never lived on my own. I went to community college and am almost finished with my Bachelor's through University of Maryland University College (UMUC) online college. I work full-time for the government and live with my parents and younger brother. I would love to live on my own, but I hadn't been able to find a roommate or affordable place...until this weekend. 

My boyfriend brought up the idea that it may be good for me and us if I try living on my own before we live together. I am thinking it would be a pretty good idea myself. I told my parents about it and they see why I think it is a good idea, but they argue the fact that I could keep living with them for free, save my money, and put a down payment on a house later on down the road.

I see both sides of the argument how I could get the experience or save money. Now I am really unsure what the right thing or the smart thing is to do here. Has anyone else ever been in this situation? Did anyone else think it was good to live on their own before living with their significant other?

Can you give me a shortened version of the text?
<bot>: Should I live on my own for the experience of being independent and to do this before living with my boyfriend or should I stay home with my parents to save money to buy a house when my boyfriend and I do?