*hugs back and nuzzles and purrs* Thank you for the hugs! And thank you for the advice, too.

Other than the car, my finances are fairly untangled from my parents...the big issue is my using their car for free rather than owning one myself. I'm disinclined to purchase a car myself unless it's absolutely clear that I have to make a break, though, because it would eat into my income and savings more than I'd really like.

And yes...I am incredibly lucky to have such a large and loving chosen family, and I still don't entirely grasp how it's managed to happen...