Erin, I have to agree with inky here. You need to move out, but most importantly, you need to move into a roommates situation. Getting a place by yourself might seem ideal, but trust me when I say there is nothing more rewarding than living with good roomies. You would have to be a pretty unique person to find fulfillment at your age living alone. You will miss the bustle of your current situation and living alone might seem like greener pastures. But you won’t be happy. On the other hand, checking out a house with 2 or 3 other people (that you should interview of course) can lead to one of the happiest times of your life. So much so that you might wish it never end. Here are the pros and cons. PROS: Your ability to grow will explode, guaranteed! With the right roomies, you will find you can’t wait to get home from work, just to see what your roomies are cooking for dinner! You will seriously enjoy the closeness that will inevitably happen. CONS: The wrong fit can be a drag (but not disastrous!) so it’s important to get your roommate interviewing skills down. don’t jump at the first opportunity, meet a few times first and check out several opportunities simultaneously. Try and find an established situation instead of trying to create one. In other words, look for a household with a few roomies looking for another. this way you can move out more easily if it doesn’t work out. Always opt for a trial period, like a month before agreeing to a commitment of like 6 months. Trials are good and will help you eventually flow into the perfect situation. Do this before you begin to resent your mother too much. Moving out will lead to a better relationship with your mum.