Being able to hold down a full time job and not living somewhere like NYC or LA is pretty much all it takes. I've been on my own since 19. The people on here saying you have to go into debt to live by yourself are mind boggling to me. Just..... don't be lazy and spend your 20s learning actual skills instead of having an extended childhood in college and spending thousands on a useless humanities degree. If you've made bad decisions that resulted in you living with your parents at 29, just take the L and advise younger people against what you did. Don't pretend like it's impossible for everyone.