<prompt> Human: Im going to be moving to Southern California for a new job that will pay me 80,000 yearly before taxes. I dont even know how to begin calculating what my income after taxes will be, how much rent can I afford, how much it would cost to ownleasefinance a car gas, etc etc. I have a million questions, which Ill outline below, but I would really appreciate any help on how to figure out what my life is gonna look like financially.Some things that are important to me: living alone with no roommates, saving a few hundred a month, and going out with friends a few times a week. how much rent can I afford exactly? how much would it cost to own a car and keep it gassed and drive everywhere? how much is insurance? what are utilities like in california? would it be possible to live a normal adult life, go out a few times a week, and still save around 400-500 a month? what else should I account for?Thank you! Ive never lived alone, and I live with my parents currently in NYC and pay very cheap rent, so I have no idea what it would be like to live alone and how much it would cost.  <response>: I make 80k and live in LA. Youll be taking home something like 5300 after taxes. The thing about LA is basically you can either live close to work and usually pay a higher rent or live further and have a commute. You need a car, gas will cost you a few hundred a month depending on your drive. Rent varies a lot based on location. You want to be close to the westside? Youll pay about 2kmo on rent, probably around 250 for internet and utilities. Further out you can manage as low as 1k. Depends again where you want to live and where you work...Keeping your commute less than 45 min is ideal. Id start there. That should tell you what your options are. Craigslist is your friend. Map your drive during traffic hours on Google and you can go from there. Good luck. 