I used to live in Houston It was my hometown . Definitely doable ! I lived off of $ 12 k a year miserably . so it ' s doable . I would definitely be frugal , and make a good emergency fund with all you can . I ' d spend the first year living with the folks . I know it sucks , but it ' s worth it . Get yourself a good budget , and use everything you can to build a much needed emergency fund . I ' d say at least $ 10 k would be necessary for 6 months worth of expenses . I ' d invest in YNAB or any of the other budget tools and take a good hard look at what things are costing for you . health insurancecar insurance wise , phone , small expenses , etc . etc . Pretend you are spending the money you ' d spend in an apartment of your own . With a good emergency fund , some frugal habits , and a year experience under your belt most people get raises within the first year of a decent company , I think you ' d be more than ready to start hitting the ground running being out on your own . Trust me . You don ' t need to be a rush to move out .