I'll give you that. I've never paid a dollar of interest on a piece of furniture though.
Then that's your issue.
Perhaps. But I wouldn't be stupid enough to pay interest on a phone. That's where the difference lies.
Again, this is all hypothetical. I have no issue with just paying off a phone over time for the same amount it is advertised at without paying extra. Once we go the route of paying 8% interest on an iPhone, I will lay into anyone who does it. If you do that, you simply can't afford it no matter how you try to justify it. There is a societal problem where people can't just say, "I can't afford it." There is no shame in saying that.
Well hey...your opinion is your opinion. Agree to disagree. I just don't believe one "can't afford" an item just because they finance it. Again...by these definitions we can't afford the homes we live in or the cars we drive. The ability to afford an item and it's level of necessity have zero relation to each other so I'm confused as to why you guys keep saying, "They are different because we need these items". Simply financing something doesn't mean you can't afford that item.
What it could mean (and what I believe it to mean more often than not) is you can't afford to pay it off RIGHT NOW but you can afford the monthly payment.
I have absolutely no shame in saying that I can't afford to buy the iPhone XS Max 512 GB outright at around $1700 at this moment. But I could easily afford paying $70 a month for it. Factoring interest (if applicable) doesn't change my ability to afford it monthly. It just increases the amount I'll be paying over time.
I'm only saying this because IF all carriers switching to financing with interest tomorrow...I'll probably be one of those folks doing it and I imagine in time so will many of you lol. I'm not even going to pretend otherwise. If it's the only option, and I need a new phone, I guess that's what I'll be doing. I have a family of 5 smartphones. The alternative is do without, buy outright for 5 phones or finance with interest? As long as the interest isn't outrageous, I'll probably be one of those "suckers" you all talk about lol.