It is not a casual thing. It took every penny I had, and then some, and then even more from my fam. I'm extremely lucky to be in my own tiny house. Hopefully the market gets to the point where buying a house is an option for you.

Philosophically speaking, the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" in my parents generation was having a college degree. I think for millennials the defining thing is going to be home ownership, which is why I stretched my budget very thin to get in one. Good luck.