You’re not wrong, but how does your LPT accomplish that?

You know you’re taking up their time that could be spent on someone else who tips, right?

I’m supposed to be saving for a goddamn house.

FHA is not an option. A 10% down payment is literally $90,000+ anywhere within 30 mins of where my wife and I work. Ideally, I would love to put down 20%, and even then I’m still competing with cash offers.

Sure, an extra 2k is a lot for someone who likes living paycheck to paycheck. I don’t like that. I won’t like being a forever renter. I don’t want to start a 30-year mortgage when I’m 40. I want real estate to pass onto my kids because this economy will be even more fucked in time.

Pre-tax annual ~115k between me and my wife, monthly take-home after tax, SSI, healthcare, and savings deductions ~6,500.

I’m not gonna list all my expenses, but we live pretty frugal sharing one car, but rent in a HCOL area in Southern CA. I’ll be lucky to have 2k in fun money at the end of the month, but it usually falls short. I would love to own a home here and that’s where the leftover should be going toward, but that’s unlikely within the decade.

I’ve been “earning decent” at every job until I wasn’t a few years later despite reasonable raises. Cost of living will tear you a new asshole unless you give up considerable comfort. MANY moving here severely underestimate it.

I have to pick up jaws from the floor whenever I tell my visiting foreign family how much I make and how much is left after my necessary expenses.

• “Tactical”.

Throw two of those in there actually. Anywhere.