If you can, I’d look into buying a small condo. It sounds daunting at first but the mortgage payment on it would prob be similar to rent you are paying...and at least you’d be building up equity in the condo rather than lighting money on fire each month with rent. Even if it’s a small dumpy little condo that doesn’t seem “worth it” to buy. Still way better than renting assuming you know you’ll be in the area for s few years.
You don’t even have to save up a ton either if you have decent credit. You can prob put like 3% down.
But anyways, this would allow you to buy a house down the road a lot easier than waiting until 50. You sell that condo after 5-10 years and prob have a 100+ grand pocketed.