This is a good post. Even though the OP is not car free, he got out of the rat race. There's nothing worse than being in debt up to your eyeballs. Your paycheck is gone by the time you get it and money is no longer enjoyable because you really don't have ANY money at all. The bi-weekly check is an illusion because it comes and it's gone. That's not life at all but a jail sentence.

A lot of men sell their souls to buy huge expensive homes for their wives they can't really afford and don't realize the pressure to keep it all afloat until they are burried in debt. I watched a television show not too long ago where young couples were buying homes costing 400 - 600K! I'll never forget there was one young couple (they couldn't have been older than 27) purchasing a costly home where the mortgage exceeded 560K! The house was lovely but you should have seen the poor guy's face as HE had to sign the paperwork for that home. The stress on his face said it all and his wife was calm and carefree as can be. This is what men do to their lives and spend the next 30 years working like crazy to pay bills. One day most wake and and find out they spent the best years of their lives miserable.