Once upon a time...

... there was a princess who lived in Los Angeles. She wanted to purchase her own castle more than anything, although real estate prices in her area were insanely high. She thought to herself, "Prices will have to drop in a few years, they can't stay this high. One day, house prices will be affordable. And I want to be ready when they are."

So she decided to face the fiery dragons guarding her financial future - the multi-headed credit card gargoyle, the devious twin dragons of car payments and car insurance, and the most evil of all dragons known to man - her own spending inclinations.

She grabbed the sword of financial planning and began swinging away.