I had all of that for 30k a year, 20 minutes from a major population center. I wasn't paying back college loans (yet), but you can only do so much on 30k. It's a lot, though...

Well in the US you can't really choose when to pay those loans back. Not to mention for the type of car you'd be able to afford if it breaks down it would easily wipe that 700 dollars out. Go forbid you got sick. An emergency bill would run 3 months income.

Well yeah, at 30k a year you can't afford to retire, you are still working. But 30k isn't hard to achieve. Hopefully if you've spent money on college, you've got a skillset which will make more than that, and then you can pay back those loans, and all the other stuff.

Nobody can help you if you are fiscally irresponsible, it's not an unobtainable path to freedom though.

Your post assumes that young person went to college, successfully obtained a degree, and has growth potential in their career. There are many, many people who are missing one of those things, and are screwed because of it.