Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

Interestingly, I find myself in the position of both agreeing, and disagreeing, with you. Much of what you view as "necessity"...I do not. For example, a family does not need the internet. Many can, and still do, get along just fine without it. It is a very convenient luxury.
Yes, in this day and age, affordable utilities (lights, gas and water) are a necessity. If people do not overextend themselves, then these things are affordable.
A car? ehhhh...maybe...maybe not. A lot of people manage to get by without them. But I also see too many people driving cars, that they are barely making the payments on. No one was ever promised cheap gas. I don't like paying those prices any better than you do, Pan, but you adjust.

What does extending credit and not raising wages have to do with each other. It's two seperate entities. Your employer is not going to raise your pay just because a credit card company over extends your credit. You have to be smart enough to balance the credit with your ability to pay. Credit is fine for emergencies, or a major purchase such as a house, or a car. But to use a credit card for day to day living expenses is just begging for trouble. Whos fault is that?
And, as far as people willing to spend more for quality? Not so much. Our can opener took a crap. I took my daughter to the store with me to buy a new one. She could not, for the life of her, understand why I chose the $8, solidly built, heavy in your hand, dual geared, Made In USA, can opener, over the $2 cheaply made, Made In China, piece of crap, that wasn't going to last through a single year. (our old one was over 20 years old) I tried to explain to her, why I did what I did. But, I don't think that I ever did get through to her. To her...I just wasted $6. It's a mentallity.