If you want to date and bang quality women you need to have your sh!!t together. If you only care if the girl is at least passably cute, then Im sure you can make do as long as you give them some shpeel about working towards better things.
However, the reality is that if you are out of your early 20s, it looks bad for a guy to still be living at home unless hes working full time at a decent-ish job and/or educated. And in the latter cases you would generally need to show you have the intention of saving to move out.
Because the reality is, how much fun can you have with crap retail pay, no privacy since you live at home, and little ambition? Girls will think they will have no ability to have fun with you because of this...or theyll be annoyed at always having to go back to their place (especially if the chicks have roommates). At least if you lived at home and had a better education or job, youd have more loot to go do fun things. Or at least girls would get that impression.
Just telling you what Ive seen. The guys I know pulling quality women and who lived or are still living out home in their mid/late 20s, are guys with education and a decent job. They have that discretionary income to actually be able to date, since dating costs money even on the cheap. Plus girls do dig what it says about a guy to have his crap together even if hes at home. I do know guys whove still dated while living at home with less education and lesser job titles, but they arent dating the caliber of women compared to the other dudes I mentioned.
Take that for what it is. As others said, style and having your body in good shape helps a lot, but consider the options decent looking girls usually have. Youre behind the 8 ball, because plenty of guys who dress well and go to the gym are educated and/or have decent jobs.
Make a plan for yourself and get to it. I definitely noticed the difference in responses I got from women when I was in college working crappy part time jobs compared to when I was post college trying to find my first legit full time gig. While youre young and in school, it doesnt matter because the girls understand that youre in the same place they are. They know its a grind and college is about fun anyways. After college the girls may be a bit lenient for a little while, considering how hard it can be to find jobs right now. But as time moves forward, if you dont have something lined up, you do start to look like a less than decent prospect, especially if her options are guys who are already set up well.
Not to mention the fact that I had to take a dating hiatus myself before finding my first legit full time gig because I couldnt afford dating. I by no means spend a lot of cash on women...but even just paying for myself got expensive when all I had was a crap job. In between bills, having money for the extra gas, eating out, beer, covers for bars/clubs/events, it just gets expensive. (even on the cheap)
I know for myself that a girl whos got her crap together is more appealing than a girl who doesnt. Because the girl without her crap together has me thinking Im gonna be footing her bill. Girls worry about the same damn thing...and even more so because many expect a guy to pay for most things.
So take all this for what it is man. Good luck.
Its also the best kind.
