I just feel like I’m financially cooked even though I know it could be worse.

I’m in my late 20s, live in the U.S. (if that’s important), I moved back home with my parents, pay my own bills, car is paid off (but old enough to be constantly in the shop), and I have a good job but I just can’t make progress with saving.

Between paying student loans, credit card debt (which is ~$6k), bills, gas, insurance, medical, and random car issues, I’m so discouraged. My tax return was great this year and it’s already gone due to mostly bills (though I did allow myself to spend some on myself for my birthday). Every time I start to save something happens and I’m back to living paycheck to paycheck.

Haven’t even begun to talk about grad school. I got accepted to a fantastic school after applying and requesting to be considered for any kind of campus jobs/grants/scholarships/fellowships but I haven’t heard anything yet about the latter. It would be a huge blow not to go but I really don’t want to take out more loans.

I feel like the only way out is to work and have no personality or social life bc I can’t afford one and hope for the best one day, but if I do that my mental health is going to tank. It happened during the pandemic, when I was making less money but somehow more financially stable. I feel like I tried to do all the right things and still can’t afford to do anything more than survive.

Sorry for the rant. Any advice or words of encouragement would be appreciated.