As part of the 'significant lifestyle changes that come from having a teenager', we've bought a new (to us) car. Despite some of the serious costs one incurs from having a third person in the house, I stand by my earlier assessment that one can afford to live any lifestyle you want if you're willing to make sacrifices for it (this obviously only applies when the basics of life are covered - food and shelter come first for everyone). Specifically someone asked if this was going to cut down on our travels, and I responded 'why would it?' Obviously the cost has gone up, but only by a bit - we certainly won't be going first class anytime soon, but we (probably) wouldn't have before. The challenge, of course, is figuring out where to cut. It's a learning experience.