These higher prices are indeed giving heart burn. The plane that fits my intended mission is the 182 - which has risen in price 50% or more in the past year. If it keeps going up it will be out of reach in 2 years (my target date for getting a plane). Of course, the market is tanking and what I was stuffing away to pay for the plane is shrinking as fast as plane prices are rising LOL.
So should I revisit looking at something like an Archer? Hard trade off - as it will be harder for wife to get into, carry less, etc. Worth it to spend a few hundred to get checked out in a rental Archer to see if I can make peace with it? Or just decide to spend the retirement money on a 182 and tell the kids they get to support my wife and me when we hit 75. We'll come to their house for Thanksgiving one year and never leave LOL.