I lived at home with my parents when I went to university. What % of people going to college/university don’t have one within commuting distance of their home? Living in residences/dorms/off-campus housing when you can’t even afford the tuition yourself, or have to borrow a bunch of money for it, seems like a luxury. Unless you get accepted to an ivy league school, or are going somewhere like MIT for engineering, it makes little difference where you get your undergrad degree, anyway.
Later, when I finished school, hadn’t yet started making good money (unemployed for a while), but living on my own, I learned how to stretch my food budge. A pound of regular ground beef, a big box of pasta, and a big can of sauce will make several meals.
Hunger’s a great motivator.