I would rather contribute and be "out there" in case anything better came along than be stuck in the apartment with my mother on welfare? Why not make a plan of what you'd like to do: http://wishcraft.com/ you don't have to be in that job forever. What kind of store is it, why not move up into management (if you like retail) or into accounting or into a different retail situation with large ticket items where you could earn commission on sales. Working at a store and with the public is a very good exercise in and of itself. I use to love when I worked at Sears, Roebuck ($95 a week before taxes) because I would imagine all the possibilities in life; it's a little like reading the yellow pages of a phone book to me and imagining doing any of those occupations, wondering how they'd be and different roles one could play.

I often, when I see a vacant storefront, imagine what kind of store I'd put in there if I wanted to own a store and how I'd advertise it, run it, whether it would fit with that neighborhood and the surrounding stores, etc. The more you are "out" the more you can see and the greater the possibilities. Maybe you can meet someone and share the gas money?