Tia and I were talking during a car ride on Monday and we agreed on an observation. I've been giving it some thought and mentioned it again to PTE Rick today. I'm sure there's a known psychological reason behind it but it doesn't matter. All that matters is understanding that it exists.
Tia and I could buy things but we don't. We say, "We could . . ." a lot. We don't buy much though. (I did buy this arch-thingy for one of my climbing roses on Monday. I'll take a picture when the roses are blooming.)
I think a lot of it goes back to people wanting what they can't have. Credit cards and store credit have solved the problem of not being able to have it but people still can't afford much of what they buy.
Once you can, items seem to lose their desirableness. We just buy what we truly need or want. It seems like a paradox. We shop more when we can't afford it and shop less when we could actually buy things.
I still believe that part of it comes back to the idea of spending money. Credit isn't money. You aren't spending *your* money when you use a credit card. The pain comes later. When you are using your own money, your more picky. At least that's how it works for us.