Free or low price bicycles are gross in comparison to good. If your bicycle is worse than your friend's then you will have bad times to ride with him - you will be always behind
or your friend will be bored sometimes, because he uses 30% - 60% of his potential
When you buy low price home you will bump into some problems - problems with canalisation, electronic communication, you will spend another thousands $$$
and days to make things work. Imagine yourself not able to shit as always.