Want to avoid getting burned by a lease-purchase agreement?

60 K in Chatanooga or Dallas or Kansas goes a LOT farther than Chicago, L A, San Francisco, Miami or New York.....it's all relative...

 

Yes it certainly does. But outside of the prime real estate regions like long island and downtown chicago, certain neighborhoods in southern call, etc, its not as bad as so many make it out to be. And lets be real, if you are working class you arent living in the Hamptons or beverly hills so you aren't dealing with million dollar mortgages.

 

Yes but even those areas have regions where is cheap in comparison to live. For example, a nice adjustment in sf is 2500 a month but cross the bay and your housing costs are cut in half.
Get thirty miles outside of Chicago and it's the same thing. These are the sacrifices you have to make if you want to get ahead.

 

House next door just sold for 275k, I live in a suburb of Chicago that's as working class at it gets. Two years ago, I saw houses similar to mine in north Dallas, 30 min. From downtown, they were 80k.....

 

I live 30 miles south of Chicago, BTW.....

 

In any case, the industry I, where it is, live and adjust accordingly.

 

Okay, super trucker. Roll on.

 

He is just smarter than every one. It's okay.

I also asked him for his solution. He apparently doesn't have one.

 

I have my solution. It's simply make sacrifices to save money and get a decent used truck once you have the money. There is no secret formula, it's really basic simple old school fundamentals. just do the same things our grand parents did back in the 30s. Live with out expensive extras. Cable tv for example, is not a need it is a want. New cars are not a need. That 15 yr old 1500 dollar beater will get a guy to work just as good as the 50k new one.

 

You assume people haven't done these things already. There is only so much to cut. Times aren't friendly to some people. I am glad it has worked for you to put you in a stable place, but making it better hasn't fixed the problem here. We make it, don't get me wrong, but the only things left to cut out wouldn't make much of an impact. At least not the kind we are talking about. Your comment about the ring shows you haven't been there yet. When you are, I hope you don't tell your child what you told me. At least not unless there is no way to get one. I had a way, I made it happen. Happy child was the result. When my kids get so little else they want, it was a small sacrifice. I also have one starting college at the end of this coming school year. Actually, starting halfway through this school year to get a jump on things. College isn't cheap.