Wallet Therapy: Lease vs. Buy: Would You Still Want This Car If No One Saw It?

For The Hayters: The Stories We Survive · Sep 24, 2026 · 27m

Confession: I have never once walked into a car purchase asking "can I afford this car?" I asked "can I afford this payment?" and called it a day. Turns out those are two very different questions, and the gap between them is where a LOT of money disappears.

This week Alex and I tackle the lease vs. buy debate. We cover why leasing can make an $80,000 car feel weirdly affordable, why a new car's "low" interest rate might still cost you more, and the Scion story that proves nobody actually knows what's in your bank account by looking at your car.

The Solution

Leasing means financing…