If by 'author', you mean the author of the posted article, I agree completely. The parent poster I was responding to stated 'people are spending more money on l

If by 'author', you mean the author of the posted article, I agree completely. The parent poster I was responding to stated 'people are spending more money on luxuries (such as their houses)'... which I think gets the causation backward from what you describe. I'd wager that most payment buyers aren't lacking for other things to spend on.