No, I'm just saying that when you've inflated your idea of reasonably comfortable living to require a $40k car, that you should at least be somewhat self-aware

No, I'm just saying that when you've inflated your idea of reasonably comfortable living to require a $40k car, that you should at least be somewhat self-aware that you're making a very deliberate tradeoff and spending far more than is required to achieve "nice." A newish Camry is "nice." It's reliable, it's comfortable. In fact, it's one of the most long-term reliable cars on the road. It's not exciting. It's not spectacular. It's obviously not what the person in the article wants. It's ~$23k new. Prius V. The list continues. There's a large gap between a $40k car and a "cheap beater." It's full of ... nice cars. There've been plenty of other examples in this thread. The author of the article didn't want a nice car. He wanted to indulge an expensive passion for high-end cars. I'm not going to criticize the passion - I'm in the middle of a hideously indulgent kitchen remodel (which is costing quite a bit more than that car, alas). Where I disagree is with the implied lack of awareness that these expensive hobbies are one of the underlying factors that rendered his lifestyle incompatible with his salary. "I love expensive, fast cars, and found that by getting a good job in a low-cost-of-living area, I could feed my family and still indulge my passion" -- good on you! Three thumbs up for making that move. I just moved back to Pittsburgh from Palo Alto. You'll get no disagreement about the cost of living in the bay area in general. Housing is offensively expensive there.