Living with your Folks (its a Recession, People!)

Hi. I'm 33, have a Masters degree, happily married and have a perfectly healthy toddler. At the moment we also have been living with my mother since July 2012 (we lived with my MIL in England, but I cannot tell that story right now). It's somewhat voluntary, but still feels odd, like an adult holding pattern. Living out of a suitcase, sleeping next to the Baby's crib and having our important household items in a small storage unit, is a strange state of being. Since moving back to the SF Bay Area from the UK we have both found full-time work, and luckily Mom watches Conrad. This was supposed to be temporary and we thought we were going to move out by now, but the economy has had other plans. Rents have sky-rocketed as greedy landlords have caught on that there is a glut of renters. People have foreclosed on their houses and are looking to rent or others simply cannot afford a house. We are in the latter category. Being good and frugal with your money won't buy you a house around here, unless you are working for Google, Yahoo or Apple. I teach Special Education and Chris is an Engineer.
So we are thinking are only option is to move, again. We moved to England in 2011, hoping for a better way of life (don't laugh). Over there the cost of housing seemed to be in line with what a average worker made, but the cost of living was pretty pricey. We moved back, mostly because I just had a baby and wanted some support and familiarity. Also, we wanted to be able to take day trips without breaking the bank. To fill up our little Astra over there, it was over 60 pounds!
With that said, I have been trying to see if there are support groups out there for families like mine who are living with their parents, just to get by financially. I searched "living with your folks" on Facebook, but all that came up was this young guy who never left home in the first place and started a page. Even on the internet, searches come up with how young adults haven't been able to "launch." At the park I did meet another mommy, my age with two young kiddos who lives with her Mother in Law. I think we both feel the same way; like we aren't living up to our potential in some sub-conscience way. It was nice meeting someone else in the same figurative boat.
Maybe this is cultural thing. I'm "white" (I really don't like that term. We should be European-American or whatever.) and raised by people who never seemed to fall on "hard times." Grandma talked about the Depression and made us clean our plates as a result, but that was it. We grew up to think adults who lived at home had to have something a little wrong with them. "That's weird," "Maybe they have a mental illness," "Don't they want to live on their own?," "When are they going to move out?" "They are taking advantage," etc. I know other cultures embrace many generations in one household. I simply don't think my own culture's so accepting.
Living in someone's house, a lot of stuff gets put away mentally and emotionally. Like I am usually an organized person, but all my stationary is in storage, along with all of my size 10 clothes. I would like to have get-togethers, but would rather not ask for permission from Mom. When I watch commercials, I wonder how the scenarios would go if that family was living with their parents. There's one advertisement where the 3 year old excitedly tells his mom that he went to the bathroom. His mother enthusiastically rushes to see what was deposited in the toilet, but finds nothing there, so then asks, "Where?" Her son then points to the other side of the bathroom. Now if that happened with the Grandma at home, she'd be in the doorway, too. Saying. Stuff.
All I can say is that this period of time, living with my mom, will help me appreciate when we do move into our own place. Just like infertility made me so thankful for having my own child. Even so, I wish more people, who have had to put their independence on hold to move back home, would be more open about it. I'm here for you! If we did have gatherings it will have to be in a public place. Preferably some place serving alcohol. Cheers to better times ahead! But for now, let's have a drink (or two).