On 2007-05-23, Jay Honeck wrote:
THAT is why so many people are in debt to their eyeballs, IMHO. And
it's also why people feel they can't afford flight lessons.

They just aren't committed to aviation if they aren't prepared to
sacrifice some of those frivolous things.

I started to learn to fly in 1997. (10th anniversary of my 1st solo in a
couple of weeks!)

I was on international assignment, living in Houston. My employer gave
me a free money transfer for a proportion of my home country salary each
month plus an international service allowance - all in all, I had an
income going into my US bank account of about $30K a year. I banked the
rest of my salary in my home country and saved the entire lot. On $30K a
year, I managed to not only learn to fly (three to four lessons a week)
but by the end of 1999, afford a half share in the Cessna 140.

My living arrangements - apartment (in a nice area), no cable TV, no
cellphone, second hand vehicle with no repayment. No debt. I flew three
to four times a week, and I could afford it solely on that $30K. In late
1999, I bought half a share of a Cessna 140. Without dipping into my
home country savings!

Granted, you can't do that if you have a family, but if you don't care
one whit about keeping up with the Joneses, you can live debt free AND
fly without breaking the bank.

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