The quality of life bit interests me. I was thinking about that on the way home. In SoCal, I had 3 cars - a 4WD for playtime, a toy-racer for getting to work on the weekends in Malibu, and a slightly more grown up and comfortable compact SUV for daily use. Over here, I have a single car. My wife doesn't drive. Lack of car severely limits our income potential over here. My wife is limited as to where she can work, due to lack of transportation. I could have gotten a lower paying job in town, but by virtue of being able to travel, I have earned an income that allows us to live in relative comfort with 3 kids in the house. We would not have been able to afford the $15k or so worth of bikes we've bought/built in the last year, were it not for my commute. Sure, my side business helped, but it's the steady pay that's made the difference. Weather permitting, I can commute to my current work location a few days a week. But in my case, the car makes the difference in our lifestyle.