It's easy to say people are addicted to credit and buying stuff. But I've come to realize that much of the population is innumerate and they don't know enough to realize that they don't know enough. How many years did it take for the general public to realize that paying the minimum payment on a credit card will take an eternity to pay it off? Why did it take so long for the general public to realize this? Because the general public is innumerate. We put so much emphasis on making sure that everyone is literate. I've been shocked by how many people look at basic math as though it were quantum physics. But discussing finances with friends and writing contracts with clients, I've realized that most people are functionally innumerate and something should be done about this.

When Daryl made his decisions, my guess is that he hadn't calculated gas mileage, depreciation, interest rates on loan, insurance etc... And I wonder if he knew enough to think about these things.

There's more than this issue going into these decisions. But I think this plays a large part.