First car I bought new, I was 29. Fortunately there were interesting old sheds available before that.
Rusty, but still sound frame and mechanicals. $250 '64 LeMans - about 4 years worth. $3800 '64 Alfa GTV2000 - about 7 years.
Both excellent value for me at the time and paid for with cash.
The LeMans was wrecked and I learned my lesson fairly cheaply.
Sold the Alfa for $3500 and thought I made a profit for that period overall.
It performed (in my mind anyway) almost identically to the FR-S. Finally, a winner. Been too long.
'84 Civic S hatch new, $7400. Nice to drive. 11 years.
I tend to latch on to something that I find value in and keep it around.
The intervening years between then and now are just too embarrassing to divulge
After that, I was able to buy the FR-S for ready cash and not feel it much.
Thing is, If you budget and look to the future, you can come out ahead eventually.
It only looks like a long way off right now.
Over 3 years I was able to put together $20k for a down payment on a house and property at the end of '90 and incidentals on top of that.
New roof 3 years after that. Wasn't easy, but possible.
By the way, we're talking Ducats and pieces of eight prices in ancient history.