Why would you buy a $250,000 house or a $40,000 car? Screw that. My car was $8,000 so I only pay about $400 a month for a payment and insurance. Coming up very soon, I plan on getting a $400 - $600 a month apartment. That's pretty affordable on my salaray. You just have to look in the right places. Don't settle for something until you've looked everywhere.