I tend to agree - $25K is only about the cost of a very average new vehicle. Don't ruin your 20's obsessing on that amount of money. (I'm aware that "new" cars provide less utility for your money than 3-5 y/o cars.) Bottom line is that keeping your overhead low gives you more freedom. Generally speaking your overhead will probably never again be as low as it is in your 20's and you may have a lot more people who need your time later too.