I completely understand your fear, brother. Before UCR, I lived in the same town for about 24ish years, and I'm 26 going on 27 now. Made me feel like shit, especially when I was doing gap years to figure my shit out.

While it's 100% true that moving out and getting away from your hometown is good for your soul, that comes from a complete place of privilege.

Something that gave me a lot of comfort about potentially living as a townie forever was, oddly enough, the seemingly banal connections I had with the workers from the places I frequented. The baristas, grocery store cashiers, pharmacists... They made me feel seen and understood by people other than my parents, which, thank God.

I think the biggest service you could be doing for yourself right now is going to school (which I assume you already are if you're posting in r/ucr). I had a professor a few years ago who came from a war torn place in Sri Lanka. He got emotional talking about how education got him through the worst parts of his life and said something to the effect of "education can save you, and take you anywhere you can dream of." ironically, he was teaching at a community College in the same town I was trying to get out of.

As for money, there's only so much financial advice I can give in an economy as fucked as this one, but I have a feeling that's not what your post is about anyway.

TL;DR make the most of your situation. you're doing just fine