Ha, the neighbours only have an ML-320 cheap thing (and a gorgeous 5000+ sf house mind you). I'm more of a BMW type than Mercedes and I used to have a 540i (which is a V8) and had a 911 Turbo on order. Then the economy tanked, children arrived and things got a whole lot more difficult. I'm not ignorant of money management but it gets a whole lot harder when you're supporting four other people. It's also much harder to ratchet your costs down in tough times than it is to let them ratchet up in the good times. Now I own a Sienna minivan and an Acura TL (which is for sale).

As much as I can I try and support my LBS because I appreciate that they do provide a valuable service. I don't go to them for everything though as money is tight and I can get most stuff cheaper on ebay or craigslist. I really wanted to buy a set of black KSyrium Elites from them but their price was $650 + tax ($60) and I got brand new 2009 set on Craigslist a week back for $300 which included a wheel bag, Roval titanium skewers and a brand new pair of Specialized Mondo S-Works open tubular tires ($70 each) and tubes.