1) Echoing everyone else about getting a job. You say you're a student right now, so that's your priority, but getting something part-time that could later become full-time will help. 2) Learn how to budget now. I use YNAB (r/ynab will help) but there are other software programs that can help you as well. r/personalfinance may also be able to point you in the right direction. If you already budget, put aside money in a "buffer" category separate from your emergency fund. This will help cover miscellaneous expenses of moving out without touching your efund. 3) You get what you prioritize. If you prioritize free time, you do not get the same results as what you get if you prioritize hard work. You mentioned family issues and being terrified of moving out. There is often a process of un-learning when you grow up in an unstable home and then move out/enter the "real" world. You've learned that things just simply ARE the way they are (even though they actually aren't) and moving out will challenge a lot of those beliefs. This goes back to you get what you prioritize. Choose one or two things that are important to you and prioritize them. That will help structure you as you make the transition.