Wow. Just read the whole thread. There's 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back. I just want to ask - isn't real estate a lot higher over there too? Apartments featured on House Hunters International
are usually between $250,000 & $500,000 U.S. - and they're really small! You have to take cost of living into account if you're going to argue who's worse off.
Gas is around $2.95 here. Costs me about $40 to fill my little Hyundai SUV up, and if I only go to & from work & on errands locally I can usually stretch a tank out for at least a week. I haven't figured it out in a while, but I think I get close to 18 or 20 mpg. My husband's p.o.s. 4WD truck, however, gets about 7.
He fills up (at least $50) probably 5 or 6 times a month. We're just waiting until I pay my vehicle off so he can dump his & get a newer one - preferably with much better mileage.
Mary - your mileage sounds reeeeaaalllly bad. A car to commute wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe you could take your 4WD off the road when it's not snowing & put a small car on during that time.
That's what many people do around here.