-Additionally, I think most college students overestimate what is necessary for a comfortable lifestyle that doesn’t involve struggling. I was a grad student in New York on $32,000, and while I didn’t live the most comfortable life, I wouldn’t say I was struggling. I have friends that live there on $45-75K and they live fine (the lower end has roommates; the higher end lives alone). And that’s in one of the most expensive cities in the country. If you live in a less expensive city or in a suburban area, your costs will be lower - around $50K will let you live quite comfortably, if you are just supporting yourself on that income. (I made $50K in my first job out of graduate school in a small town not nearby an urban metropolis. It was enough to live comfortably and save a bit.) If you partner with someone with a similar income you’ll 1) be fine and 2) actually be in the top 25% of households in the U.S.
This. So many people seem to think you need to be making 100k+ a year to be able to live in an apartment and eat. I’m wondering how they come to this conclusion, as everyone I know in college(a few rich kids aside) are actively living on less than 20k, right now.