> I would’ve done better financially by buying a home somewhere I don’t want to live, but what’s the point?

Few decisions are purely numerical to most people. Or rather there are many decisions people claim are purely numerical and then make suboptimal numerical decisions on.

It doesn’t make my choice a bad choice and doesn’t mean that I threw my money away on rent anymore than a homeowner threw their money away on a refrigerator, property taxes, etc.

I exchanged a small amount of money for a place to live and had money left over to spend/invest in other ways and I got to live in an area I really love.

I guess that’s what I get for being naive at best.

> Something similar to this is why I prefer renting and why anyone who unshakeably believes renting is “throwing money away” is immediately suspicious to me.

That doesn't seem like a rational take. Renting IS throwing money away if your goal is to maximize wealth. Paying off a mortgage early when you can get a higher % return in the market than the interest rate of your loan is ALSO throwing money away.

To try and claim you're generating more wealth by renting just isn't true. To claim you're living the lifestyle you prefer, great.

To be suspicious of everyone who makes such a mild claim is a microchasm of why the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

I never said that was my goal.

> To try and claim you're generating more wealth by renting just isn't true.

I never claimed this. I have rented and I have generated wealth, however.

> To be suspicious of everyone who makes such a mild claim is a microchasm of why the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

It's usually because these people refuse to believe there's any benefit to renting and jump to conclusions and claim I said things I never said.

I wonder if I can find an example of such a situation?

> To claim you're living the lifestyle you prefer, great.