Being able to afford a winter/beater and not wanting to spend the money is two completely different things. If you drive a 20K+ or able to mod your car, you can afford a DD. If you can’t, you probably can’t afford the car to begin with which seems to be a common trend.
Honestly, having a DD was the best decision I ever made. You can get a lot of quality cars for $1-2K that are reliable.