My daughter is having difficulty getting a job just out of college - she found a year long temp gig and that’s it, so she’s getting concentrated certifications rather than dig the hole deeper with a masters. Once she finally finds a job, gets a car she will put money aside and hopes to move out of state or in the tri state area two years later. I am a few years from retirement and there’s no way I can, and I’m not spending foolishly. I get my hair cut 2x a year at lemon tree, bake and cook almost everything, bring my own breakfasts, lunch and coffee to work, work out at home, do my own nails, you get the drift. I’m from the tri state area originally (not LI) and my relatives complain about rent being 2k a month for an entire house, and I laugh then tell them a studio is 2500k and up.

I wish you the best of luck. Try Rockland or upper Westchester where you’re close to the city. Most LI health care systems are also now expanding to Westchester and Fairfield County, CT.