<prompt> Human: Just had a career change, new job. Im 25. The area my work is in is one of the highest for my city. I found a 1bed for 1800, a good deal for the area. Current situation is I live with my parents and commute 1.5-2 hours each way. Through stop and go LA traffic, driving a manual transmission truck. It sucks hard. I have no energy for anything but its also a time waste and sleep deprivation nightmare. I get up at 4, leave at 445, get to work at 6am. I leave work at 4pm and get home around 6 or 630. I should be in bed by 9 or 10 but that never happens, Im exhausted. Dont even mention a social life or being able to do my extracurriculars I used to. So far everythings on pause until I figure out what Im going to do. Some info: - Im projected to make around 60k this year this however is a low estimate to be safe. Take home monthly after taxes single, no kids using adp pay calculator online is around 3300 a month. - High credit 790 - Student loan 18k total, NOT DUE for another year so I have some breathing room. - Car payment lease 250mo including insurance - Excellent medical, dental and vision insurance - No savings or assets other than regular personal stuff like laptop, desktop. Using YNAB here is my quick and dirty expenses IF I move out they are little higher to be safe: Rent 1800 Internet 45 Electricity 50 Water 25 Gas 25 Groceries 200 FoodRestaurants 300 Fuel 120 Car Payment 250 Monthly Hair cut 18 including tip Vitamins 18mo Sports classmembership 100mo Total 2915 expenses Other goals: 401k 200mo, Emergency fund 200mo, Student loan 100mo Minimum 500mo Grand total 3451 So roughly I can survive off 60k with the expenses. They are all estimated a little high, theres a lot of wiggle room in the details. Like I know Im not going to spend 300 on restaurants but I put that in there as a cushion for shit that comes up. The sports class membership might be less. My income is also projected conservatively at around 60k but with bonuses and other potential increases projected raise in 6mo, I could be very well making around 80k depending on the deals I close. But I went with the bottom figure to be safe. The more I make, the more I would put towards increasing my emergency fund until it tops out at 8k. After that I plan to increase by whatever amount I can afford to put towards a house, 401k, and reducing the student loans 6-7 rate. So you can see that the rent is a big big of my take home income. However, it is also the biggest, intangible and qualitative factor in my quality of life. I can live 5-10mins from work and I can have a social life. I can have time for friends, sleep, I can walk to work or bike. I can go to the gym. Also, financially there is some opportunity cost for having to commute Versus renting. If I continue to live with my parents and not pay rent:- Increase gas expense above from 120mo to 400mo. The distance is 75 miles total each day and thats if I dont make any stops. 75X25 M-F 1875 miles. Weekends I give myself 150 miles Friends are in LA. 150 x 4 weekends 600 weekend miles. TOTAL MONTHLY MILES 2475 My car gets 25 combined MPG. Gas is estimated at 4gal for 91 Premium. TOTAL MONTHLY FUEL COST 400 - Lease overage: I am allowed 1000 miles a month 36mo3yr for my lease. I am going over that substantially at 2500 miles if I continue to commute. 1500 overage miles X .15mile overage charge 225mo INCREMENTAL EXPENSES FOR Commuting for 1 year 400-120 280x12 3360 PLUS 225x12 2700. TOTAL 6060 in additional fuel and lease overage charge. 2 year commuting - 12,120 INCREMENTAL expenses As you can see, by driving I am expending an ADDITIONAL 280 and lease overage of 225 every month. Im technically saving 1800 a month on rent by commuting but its more like 1800-280-225 1300mo Is it worth paying this much to be less miserable? What would you do? Obviously I can just commute and say fuck it but the cost of it is a lot of the intangible things. General happiness, lack of energy and focus due to sleep, lack of friend time, lack of social time and sports. If my lack of sleep leads to a foggy head and it affects my ability to make more commission, then wouldnt it make sense to view living closer as a financial advantage despite not being quantifiable? But FUCK ME if 1800 for rent isnt absurd. I have been trying to figure out other creative methods. Im definitely going to live frugal and work on cutting expenses. Also thought about selling the car but the lease terms make it difficult without paying penalties. Roommates are possibility but it would only reduce rent from 1800 to about 1200-1400. And its practically impossible to find a place thats dog friendly and not to mention I am apprehensive about living with strangers. I have been looking though and so far no vacant roommate situations yet. I will say that the place that is renting for 1800 is a good deal and will go soon. Despite being high it is relative to the area and the demand is very high. The landlord also will give me two weeks free for the rest of this month, its already vacant and is a really nice place. New everything, fridge, etc. Dog friendly, comes with garaged spot, 5 mins from work. Good neighborhood, no gangs or having to worry about that stuff, gated apartment and garage. Near a park, hard to find green belts in LA. 10 min drive to the beach. Access to bus and every store imaginable. Also, I can split the difference and live somewhere a little farther away say, a 35-45 min commute, rent cheaper around 1400-1500 for a 1bed. But Im thinking why would I do that? My commute still sucks albeit its 12 of what I do now and for only a little bit cheaper. I might as well just stay at home if Im going to continue to drive. I want to hear some opinionated perspective please. Theres no right or wrong answer and I understand this is personal finance but at a certain point, quality of life and happiness should factor in somehow. What would YOU do?  <response>: Live closer and get a roommate or three. 