>>17167072
Also I forgot to mention I have $20k in savings so it's not like I don't have a cushion to fall back on.

>>17167072
>How much should I be looking to pay in rent?
My parents told me that rent+bills should be around 30% of the salary, so you can save up some money and use other money for other expenses.

> Am I a dick for wanting to leave my mom here alone? She really does make me miserable.
No. If you tried to help her and she doesn't accept your help, you shouldn't be miserable to help her. You have the right to be happy yourself.

What city? That really effects the price. Also, it's not that hard. Just look online, and then make phone calls, and set up appointments to check out the place.

How much can you afford? Sometimes I wonder if threads like these are bait. The way it works, look at the way you live now. Make a budget that accounts for how much you spend on insurance, food, transportation, utilities and such. Then whatever is left of what you can afford. Bear in mind that you should annotate some of it for savings and whatever you want to allot yourself as a personal allowance. Also have something you can spend for fun or things you want. You'll probably spend like 200-300 on utilities. Plus insurance, 200. Depending on travel, and car, anywhere from 100- 200 on fuel. Food for one, a month? No more than 200, less if you're smart and frugal. These are all on high side. For things outside rent.
Total about 900 a month. You'll have 2100 left. Like I said this is high balling it. Then you have to see how much a place in your city goes for. Shop around and work from there.

As for leaving your mother. I'd she sick, and requires care? If not, no, not even close to being a dick. She's an adult and should be able to care for herself. Sure she's your parents, but you were born her child, not her retirement fund.

>>17167103
I think she is sick mentally, also the city is Fort Worth, which I think rents for lower than the national average. This really isn't bait, this is just a big step for me and I don't have anyone in my life I can go to for advice.

>>17167087
>My parents told me that rent+bills should be around 30% of the salary
I've heard that figure of 30% for your house and the bills thrown around quite often on here, and I have to say I wish I lived in the US.

My mortgage alone takes up 46% of my net income. I remortgaged 4 years ago on to a 20 year repayment plan so I'll own the house by the time I'm 51. Could have taken it over a longer period with lower payments, but the total cost would be much higher. Also no one in my family has reached the age of 70 for 6 generations, so I'm looking to retire as early as I can. Council tax (a kind of preoperty tax that you go to jail if you don't pay it) takes up another 7% of my income, then gas/water/electric and phone/internet/tv use another 4%. Of course, this is all before I feed my wife and kids, or put clothes on ther backs, or drive anywhere...

It doesn't help that I'm in the second highest tax rate either - I loose 40% of everything over £42,500. As a quick back-of-an-envelope calculation, I reckon that to get a £20 that I can spend on something frivilous and still meet all my financial commitments I need to earn a gross figure of around £95.

Sounds like you're in pretty good shape, anon. Financially you should be able to reasonably afford up to $1000/mo.

For reference, I take home $2500/mo and I spend $600/mo. on a nice small apartment in an area I enjoy (I commute 30 minutes each way, give or take 5 minutes for traffic). Admittedly this is also a low-cost metro area - also I pay a little over $200/mo for student loans as well, and idk if you have to worry about that.

As for your mother - well its important that you pay her some mind and care for her, but it isn't 100% your responsibility that she remain comfortable with the status quo. Is she seeing a therapist? On medication? Is her life "healthy?" Are there other friends and family that can help look after her as well? Perhaps she really does need help, but you shouldn't feel pressured to abandon a life of your own in favor of hers - you're are definitely in a position that you can afford to kick her $100-$200/month.

You just need to understand the situation and position yourself as a part time supporter, not a full time caregiver.

>>17167165
Yeah some people come up with ridiculous formulas for living, but there is some wisdom in them. I tend to like to follow:

30% net income to housing (mortgage/rent - NOT bills, too, just housing).
15% transportion (car payment + car insurance)
10%-15% savings (10% for "direct" savings, 5% to 401K, usually deducted from your paycheck by the company)
5% for healthcare.

This leaves about 40% of your take home pay for bills, food, gas, fun, etc. Of course this is in America, too, so if you're living somewhere else you don't have to drop that additional 5% on healthcare (not to mention gargantuan unexpected medical bills).

>>17167443
OP here, while there is some benefit to not having to pay the healthcare portion if you live somewhere else, there are other benefits here. Our taxes are lower. In Texas where I live we don't even have a state income tax, so I only have to pay federal taxes. Also prices in general here are lower.

>>17167443
That sounds pretty good to me. I still like the idea of a house that only takes 30% of your income but that's never going to be a reality here sadly. There are some massive problems with the housing market and the prices just keep going up and up. The first house I bought was in 1998 and I paid £81,000 for it. The same houses on the same estate are now going for upwards of £260,000. We've got a 4 bedroom detached house now, good size and a decent garden but it's not a mansion by any strech of the imagination. We paid £514,000 for this place and the one and only reason we are able to afford it is because my wife inherited just under a quarter of a million quid when her dad passed away.