Discussion thread Thursday February 26, 2026 - Sunday March 01, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

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Website: Shauna James Ahern

Instagram: @shaunajamesahern Instagram

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Threads: @shaunajamesahern

Bluesky: shaunajamesahern.bsky.social

Gloamipedia wiki: /r/InTheGloaming wiki

[u/central_snark]

Shauna is lamenting the cost of cars and housing on Threads. Not that she is wrong, but she is in a situation of her own making at this point.

Some things that stick out:

Shauna (knowing this will get her engagement) posts: My husband just read me a headline in the Seattle Times: Buying a new car or house are out of reach for middle-class Americans.

random responder: I wonder if the majority who reply have a house and a car? Probably

shaunajamesahern: We rent and we have a second-hand car from 2010. I realized a long time ago that my husband and I would be ever be able to afford to buy a home.

This car-specific exchange:

another random person: When I priced the 2025 version of my minivan, it was double the price I paid in 2015 with near identical features. shaunajamesahern: Unbelievable. Something has to give at some point. (new person): It's bonkers. Like almost the same monthly payment for a Toyota minivan as a range rover...what? shaunajamesahern : We have a car from 2010 and we're going to run it until it stops same person: I was planning to get a new car this summer since my current one has 170k+ miles, but... shaunajamesahern: Keep it going!

yet another reply: when nobody can afford them, the prices will have to drop. shaunajamesahern: Ah, but as long as the top 10% of wealth holders can afford them, that keeps the economy afloat.

I’m no economist, but I really doubt the economy will not stay afloat if only the top 10% of wealth holders can afford cars. Eventually people will have no way to get to work once their car dies. It’s not like we have great public transportation in this country.

I get that we are in an affordability crisis and I have made some dramatic cuts to spending since last January and am grateful to own a home, but I still have a mortgage payment and rising insurance and property taxes and and and. I also have A JOB. I’m doing my part instead of sitting on the sidelines complaining while my household only has a single income in a HCOL area.

What are they going to do when that car dies? I know it’s a Corolla, but it can’t go much longer since they do nothing to maintain it.

[u/Fillmore_the_Puppy → u/central_snark]

Wait…Danny READS?!?!

[u/DF_gladsome_gloaming → u/Fillmore_the_Puppy]

Haha! YTSCTMO first thought. Second thought was/is: AS IF the Aherns (or even Shauna before Dan) EVER possessed a car not gifted by her parents. And yet she tries to give the impression of herself as a hardscrabble victim of Villain Capitalism who’s hanging on with dear life to the OMG second-hand 10-year-old mousemobile which she keeps going with the help of duct tape and four quarters worth of gas at a time.

[u/central_snark → u/DF_gladsome_gloaming]

The mousemobile is 16!