<prompt> Human: I feel very lucky, grateful, and excited to have a job! So I made an appointment with my bank RBC to discuss finances. They said their consultants can help me plan my finances. Are they really able to help me, or do they have ulterior motives since they are a bank? ANYWAY, I have some goals: I want to live well, and within my means. I am concerned that this isnt even possible. Here are some of my goals: I want to begin paying back some student loans, live on my own well actually, probably in a very cheap apartment with multiple roommates, have an inexpensive hobby such as learning an instrument, to stay healthy and exercise, pay back a 5000 dollar loan within 2 years its owed to my parents... etc. I understand that I wont be able to afford vacations and such for years and years probably. Im a girl, but I dont have a clothes fetish or anything. But I hope I can look nice still, on my salary. I know that I cannot afford a house or car, and I dont plan on having any kids in my life time. I have reasonable expectations. I do want to get out of the house because my stepdad and I really dont get along at all. I also have an anxiety disorder and I take my mental health pretty seriously - I see a therapist which is also an expense. Money really scares me and honestly I have been having nightmares about it. I feel like I will be JUST sliding by every month, and will not be able to afford anything except rent and food. I am serious about being responsible and paying the things that are important first, but I hope I make enough money to not have thread bare clothes, and to afford a haircut sometimes. My mother says it is literally not possible to live on my own with my salary and that I will be starving, miserable, and that I will not have any money left over for the upright base lessons that I want to take, or even to pay my therapist or afford office clothes for work. Is there a way to be happy and healthy on 30 000? My mom says no. I say maybe - is there some type of life hack that I am missing here? I just want to live a life that is as happy as possible, while still paying back my student loans, rent, etc - being responsible, but still having a bit of fun and happiness. Money really scares me.  <response>: 30k annual before taxes will be about 1,750 after tax every month. If youre getting paid bi-weekly, itll be more like 800 per pay-cheque so budget based on 1,600month... with two months of the year where you get 3 cheques adding up to 2,400After that... it will depend on what you define as living well. as well as where exactly it is you live. 