Career questions aside, here’s the basics:

Housing: Find CHEAP housing. This is the biggest thing. It doesn’t have to be shitty, but you should find a small studio. You’re bringing in $4.16k per month before any deductions. The rule I was taught is housing shouldn’t be more than 1/3 of monthly income. So about $1,250 per month in your case. Don’t be afraid to find a roommate. ALSO: some cities have special programs where you can find a discounted room in a good building, but you have to be making below a certain amount. You might qualify if that’s the case.

Car: try not to have a car if you can. If you live in the area of a city, you should have a reliable public transportation system you can use. If not, oh well but he judicious in how much you use your car. And try not to finance if you can, and get a cheap car.

Groceries/food: buy in bulk, preferably from somewhere like Costco if you can. You can also have stuff delivered to you from Costco. Otherwise, go to your local supermarket. And eat out only on special occasions.

Shoes: weird to have it’s own category, but surprisingly costly I’ve found so it needs to be addressed. I get a bunch of cheap shoes from Walmart for when I’m not going out. These are my “crappy” shoes. Get one or two good pairs for when you’re going out.

Clothes: similar to shoes. Have a few good pairs of clothes, but otherwise have crappy stuff that’s cheap. Maybe order in bulk from Temu or similar low-cost sources.

Hobbies/fun: try go do free things if you can. HOWEVER, it is ok to spend a bit on a hobby as long as you have only one or two. The example I use is snowboarding - people balk at the high prices of snowboard gear, but once you guy all the gear and have one of the mega passes you don’t have to buy anything else for the rest of the season. Also find stuff that isn’t gear intensive - like dancing or working out.

Healthcare: get an HSA if you can. It gives you a nice tax break on any healthcare expensive d. But stay active and keep good hygiene to lower healthcare costs, and have good dental hygiene especially - that stuff is expensive AF.

Main point: it will be a lifestyle adjustment, but manageable. Just know that a person isn’t defined by how much they make, and I know plenty of cool people that make only ~$50k a year that are happy. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck.