> poor people have poor impulse spending control Here in the UK it is broadly true though. It's not necessarily an intelligence or "dumb" thing. It's just that

> poor people have poor impulse spending control Here in the UK it is broadly true though. It's not necessarily an intelligence or "dumb" thing. It's just that the consumer culture is enticing - and no one has been taught how to control those impulses or to budget adequately. A lot of the poorest families do budget and consume well due to necessity. The problem is those (I think the vast majority) of people living just above poverty who "splash the cash", spend money they don't have and end up in thousands of pounds of debt. (and, yes, I've lived in that group for a fair while. Though fortunately my parents managed the money ok)