Rent is not flushing money down the drain

Here is a simple illustration to show you that rent is not the same as flushing money away.

Get out on a street and simply burn your monthly rent with a lighter. See, that's flushing away. Now, take that money and pay your rent instead of burning it. See, now you've got a roof over your head.

Paying rent is not flushing away. You get actual and valuable things for doing so.