<prompt> Human: Hi everyone - this is going to be a bit lengthy, but I appreciate ANY advice from those who care to offer it.My parents and I moved to America in 1996 and have lived in Brooklyn ever since then. My dad, who is turning 70 this year, has been disabled for over 14 years and receives SSI. My mom is a very underpaid graphic designer - she hates her job and receives no benefits, but is afraid of considering a career switch late in life shes 52. She will be receiving Social Security upon retirement, but that wont be enough to cover rent in our Brooklyn apartment approximately 1000 a month. My dad physically cannot drive and my mom doesnt have a license. They wouldnt be able to afford the insurance and gas, so moving out of New York City at the moment sounds like an impossible option. I do foresee myself moving to a cheaper city perhaps somewhere in Long Island or New Jersey in my late 20s or early 30s, but really want to build a career and live in the city for a few years. I am 20, currently a junior at Barnard College, the womens college affiliated with Columbia University, and will be graduating with a degree in Economics next year great grades and no student loans. I am considering a career in marketing analytics. My big concerns are these:By the time my mom retires, my dad might no longer be alive - she would not be receiving his SSI and would need to subsist on just her social security. I am her only child and so the responsibility of taking care of her falls entirely on my shoulders. I needwant to be able to help her out monthly with money for groceries and the like, and obviously rent. It would be amazing to provide her with housing of some sort and thus remove the worry of paying rent, but she needs to live near me. She isnt fully fluent, I am her only support network, and sending her off to Florida or the Midwest per commentors suggestions is out of the question. Personally, renting a posh apartment in Manhattan is out of the question - most likely, I will move to Queens or Brooklyn after graduation, will live with a roommate, and be frugal with expenses. I do plan on moving to a cheaper city in my late 20s or early 30s, but cant give up NYC just yet. I want to start saving for retirement as soon as possible - my parents never had enough money to save much, and I actively want to avoid the same fate.Given all of these concerns, how should I budget my monthly earnings? Remember, I need to save for retirement, taking care of my mother, and a future home of my own.Has anyone been in a similar situation? EDIT: From the comments, I can tell that people need more information about my moms financial situation to truly understand how dire it is. She makes 25,000 a year, my dad doesnt have life insurance, and we are alone in America. We dont have relatives. Assistant: Just make sure you dont fail to save for your own retirement by spending your budget taking care of your folks. You run the risk of continuing the cycle with your kids. The reality is, though, youll probably end up having to help. But make your obligations to your future the priority. At this point your mom probably wont retire to a life of luxury but shes got a good 15 years give or take to save. Good luck OP.Obligatory edit: WOW. The downvote train is full steam ahead. Overnight I went from top comment to bottom. I even have more downvotes than the guy that called OP a leech on the tax system. Yeesh, come on rpersonalfinance.Im getting the feeling that since this post jumped up to 1 on the hot list, Im getting the downvotes of the more casual and apparently emotional subscribers than the regulars. I want to clarify something...I get it, he wants to do the nice thing and take care of his parents. Absolutely commendable. At the same time, if OP doesnt save for retirement, hes doing himself and his children a disservice. You can call that an Americanized view or insensate Im being insensitive to other cultures or what have you, but its simply one of the basic tenets of rpersonalfinance. There are no loans for retirement, and success in the retirement system we have is based upon saving as much as possible as early as possible. That is not my opinion - its the cold hard fact. Its not perfect and Im not defending it, but it is what it is. Disagreeing with it doesnt mean you dont have to deal with it!So again, not saying OP shouldnt do what he can to be a good child and take care of his family. But he should still make paying his future self a priority as well. If we dont make that clear then rpersonalfinance has failed!!Human: You clearly dont understand the responsibility of being your parents only child. These people have given up everything they had in order to provide for my future. I HAVE TO help themher. And given her income, she really has no money to save.  <response>: If you truly feel this way, then prepare to be your parents primary caregiver. Learn to cook for them, clean them, care for them - just as your parents have done for you, do it for them in their old age. Remember, I need to save for retirement, a potential apartment for my mother, and a future home of my own.The last two will probably be the same. Be prepared to have your parents living with you. Budget for their needs as well as yours. 