I highly recommend living in the inner city. We have a 2 bedroom in a newly renovated building for the same price we were paying in a nicer neighborhood. We have young hip multi-cultural neighbors. From the single mom upstairs to the rock star next door, we love it. Living in the "burbs" is my nightmare. Don't knock it until you've explored the option. My husband and I are "making it" on around 72K with no children. Paid off most of our debt. We drive a 96 Nissan Sentra, and are "upgrading" this week to a 2000 Taurus. We don't have a TV. We watch our favorite shows online, and have a subscription to Netflix (we can watch DVDs on our computer). We only have cell phones, no landlines. We give away more of our income than we ever have. We're funding our pension and retirement plans. As well as saving a little for a house. If it takes us a while longer to get what we want instead of getting it now and paying interest, so be it. We're also constantly looking for ways to save money. We pack our lunches, eat in most nights. We travel a lot, but always try and fly during off seasons or find esavers. Our "American" dream is living debt free and contributing to our city. I'm not on a high horse, just starting to learn to be vocal about a different way of life.