It's seemingly the pendulum swinging. People go nuts on the upswing of spending and buying way too much shit, and on the other end people are too frugal and don't spend or buy things they likely should be to have a basic standard of living that we can appreciate in the modern age.

I think it's good people are trying to spend less and save more, as that is such an important life lesson to learn. Like anything though, we have to make sure we find a good balance! We shouldn't buy ALL the shit that comes out, but at the same time if an electric device has a frayed wire and is a danger, it's probably best to get rid of it and buy a new one, or even a used one that isn't broken.