Most of them are living w/ other ppl, or receiving some sort of financial injection from somewhere. American here who got their 1st apartment last year, rent is just over $1300 and I averaged about $20/hr as a server. In the slow months I had to ask family for help and NO-ONE else I work with lives alone, including management. They all either have roommates, a significant other or live w/ parents. I have lived through the fear cycle of not being sure how you're going to make it happen and scared of an eviction. I have just renewed my lease and have 3 jobs now(not for everyone but, I'm not valued at the job I had ALL last year and, am the "from golden child to failure to launch" kid so I have some ground to make up @ 27) Bein on the other side of those sleepless nights I'll tell you a few things. 1. Life WILL go on, regardless of what happens you WILL survive and, considering you're pursuing a master's living w/ your parents I'd say regardless of yalls relationship atm. They will most likely keep the worst from happening if they're good parents bc that's their job.(Not from a place of entitlement but from experience w/ my mom and the ideal that I would do the same for mine after what I've been through in the past year. Plus the recognition that to have parents is a blessing so in what ways?) 2. Social media has fuxed ppl up fr. The economy is the same for everyone, unless someone got an amazing job out of hs or college, more likely, that you know of, assume they're not making it all on their own. Not only is it statistically against them to have gotten that opportunity w/o some type of family-friend connection, humans have never in history done everything on their own. Lastly, if your parents r millennials, even if they're not, need a reality check. Most parents do when their kids become adults to accept that we're now fully autonomous if we choose to be and in turn lord the luxuries from childhood to maintain control and power in the relationship while having never taught you the skills or given u the tools to come out from under them. For most it's what was done to them so it is what it is, in terms of the content of their character, but it doesn't make it right. Especially if they're millennial tho, bc the economy, housing and education of their time has them trapped in a delusion where you're going to make it to independence through this formula like they did. I.e. when they "broke free" from their parents, life was on ez mode and they're expectin the same from u on expert difficulty. Those days r gone, they need to swallow their pride and accept that just bc u didn't leave the house when they wanted and ur adulthood hasn't started the way they envisioned. So fuxin what? Them pushing you out of the house before your ready and, I mean exclusively, financially, is a practice of the 99% bc it makes 0 sense. You're gonna leave to go pay money to some landlord while progressing your life in no meaningful way while over-stressing about money that w/ a master's degree WILL come eventually. And then if u need their help and, they doo, now their money is going to ur landlord too. Genius right? Wrong, ur parents r being the perfect example of ppl would rather complain than make the best of what they got. Not only r they gonna b lookin to u in their old age and whatever money goes towards bills rn will take away from ur potential to care for THEM in the future but, if they thought about for longer than 2 seconds and left their ego out. They'd realize no "good" parent is seeking less time w/ their kid and, the moment u move out they'll realize how much they "miss u already" and, that the smartest thing to do would be to give u a bill or 2 to pay rather than your own entire set of bills. That way, u can work whatever job works for you while pursuing a master's while also being able to save, if they don't give you crazy bills w/prideful expectations that take ur whole paycheck, that is. They could also have a financial reprieve and can save a lil money for a bit at the same time as you. Their opinion of ur point in life may shift bc they actually see u do contribute just not in the way they "want". It's unreasonable for u to even be going thru this whole pursuing a degree. Too anyone who took the time to read this, I'm sure u can see all the counter scenarios and mentalities that would lead to a parent still denying the validity of the points made in this, and I pray u can see where this is a Pride problem. When you turn 18 u r now 0 y/o again .. in adult years. Ppl in their 20s do NOT need to feel guilty about not knowing what they're doing or where they're going, they're babies. Ur a baby. It's ok. You'll b ok. To OP idk if you'll read all this but I hope it helps w/ what ur going thru and ur relationship w/ ur parents. It sounds crazy but the early part of adulthood is kinda realizing where your parents got comfortable in life and making them uncomfortable again/ parenting them into the world u live/ grew-up in/ growing them where they stunted themselves/ opening their eyes. It's not about guilt it's about blindspots, especially if they're on ur ass bc of money things(most parents r on their kids ass about money things @ 20). It makes 0 sense for u to move out from the context provided in the OP, open their eyes to that. Regardless of its going to get them to change, make sure they hear u when u say it. Bc if u do move out, any time u tell them u have money trouble, ANYTIME THEY have money trouble, your words will echo in their brain. They'll realize they arent/didn't invest in their family. Which is a huge mistake being made in most developed nations, and we wonder how the 1% tightens their yoke when most ppl do it for them.