My niece just got her first post college job with a salary of $45k. After taxes, rent, utilities, etc, we figured she’ll have about $1000 to live on, for transportation (she has no car but needs a metro pass), food, clothing, entertainment, cat food and supplies,. Her parents still pay for her health insurance, phone, AND student loan payment (their gift to her). If she had to pay a student loan payment, she could not have taken the job and would still be living at home working a $10/hr job.