<p>I am still surprised, as I go back and scan through the posts, at some of the reactions, and at times overreactions here. I think there is a big differencce between the people who truly try to manage their finances as best they can, are careful bargain hunters who work long hours and take care of their families. And there are people who have fallen on hard times and find themselves in new, challenging circumstances. But there are also those who just “gotta have” the latest and greatest electronic toy, the most stylish outfit, who wouldn’t dare let their kids wear hand me downs, and they are happy to let other people finance their lifestyle. I have relatives like this. Frequently mooching off of others and looking for others to pay to subsidize their lifestyle. Makes me ill, and I won’t enable this behavior. If either of my kids grow up with this mentality, I don’t know how I’ll handle it. To me, these are the people that the OP was talking to. Not the hard working Joe’s who are doing the best they can in this tough economic climate and also want to have some fun and relaxation. They deserve to have some fun. They earned it. (emphasis on the word <em>earn</em>).</p>