It gets worse: > They were perpetually behind with their Buddy’s installments and had taken to skipping one week and then catching up, with a $5 late fee rolle

It gets worse: > They were perpetually behind with their Buddy’s installments and had taken to skipping one week and then catching up, with a $5 late fee rolled in. To make matters worse, those payment trips to Buddy’s put them eye to eye with more temptations. One week, they added a smartphone to their order. Another week, some Samsung speakers. And suddenly, the weekly payments to Buddy’s were $110. And more: > By midday that Thursday, $51 of the $230 had already vanished, used for gas and cigarettes They're already on the edge financially, to the point where even eating healthily is an issue yet they still buy cigarettes and add even more monthly payments for unnecessary technology. Basic life skills like budgeting, saving money, paying taxes and controlling your debt really need to be taught in schools. Maybe add it to math. Teaching math with practical lessons benefits everyone.