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Message: <blockquote data-quote="brocknroller" data-source="post: 3156016" data-attributes="member: 665">Preposterous? Why, I'd thrash him from top to bottomus! I'd show him who was king of the forest! You make a good point. To use the disposable income formula assumes most people live within their means, but the stats show most Americans live on credit and don't save very much money. Do Americans spend more than people in Western Europe and Asia?"They definitely do. You can look at consumption levels and control for purchasing power over the last several decades, and America is simply in a league of its own. The only people who come close are people in Britain, but they are about 85 percent of the level of American consumption. Germans, French and others are in the 70 percent range, Japanese even a little lower. So Americans spend like no one else."<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/12/05/143149947/why-americans-spend-too-much" target="_blank">why-americans-spend-too-much</a>Since Americans and Brits are the two main contributors on these forums, I think that explains a lot. One argument that is always made when this topic comes up, and was made a few posts above, is that when you spend $2,500 on a pair of binoculars, when you amortize the amount over a lifetime, it's pennies a day or some such low number. Three problems with that argument: (1) it assumes that you are young enough and healthy enough to live another 20/30 years to see that ROI, (2) that you will keep the same bin for the next 20/30 years and not be tempted by the next BIG THING (look at all those chomping at the bit on the SF thread as proof), and (3) that you can afford the upfront cost of $2,500 or are willing to put it on your card and pay interest on top of principal and extend your period of ROI even longer. From attending birding events and talking to hunters, I have concluded that at least in my neck of the woods, the experience of many of those who post to the alpha forums are not typical of the general population. This is not to say that if a birder has deep pockets, he shouldn't buy "the best," or what is considered "the best," whatever the cost. But I do find myself annoyed at birders who are always buying and selling, thinking that what's around the corner is so much better than what they have, they that simply must have it. Even more annoying when they feel they must convince others that their bins at the best. Here are some stats: Last year, Americans spent an average of $2,586 (around $216 per month) on entertainment, which was a .5 percent increase from 2013. Our largest category of entertainment spending was on our electronics, where we spent nearly 40 percent of our entertainment budget.Another large chunk of this (around 25 percent of spending) money went to pets (AND VET BILLS -ed), toys, hobbies, and playground equipment. We also spent a significant portion on fees and admissions (about 23 percent of our entertainment budget went to this area.)<a href="http://wallstcheatsheet.com/personal-finance/what-are-americans-really-spending-their-money-on.html/" target="_blank">What Are Americans Really Spending Their Money On?</a>Brock</blockquote>

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