alt Hacker NewsIt would be easier to buy that argument if it wasn't happening in countries where healthcare is not fast track to debt and police is not out there to get you. I come from such a country and a lot of financially struggling people overspent on status symbols all the time.
Sure, because status matters more than finances. Getting rich may be extremely unlikely if not outright impossible. Looking rich to your peers (and "feeling rich") on the other hand may just be a few years worth of small affordable installments away - even if it's completely superficial and short-lived. And entire industries will literally spend your every waking second trying to convince you that buying their product will make you feel rich.