never knows best...

dry as toast

There's a subtle secondary manner in which real estate prices have shaped consumer behavior in Japan: housing is so expensive that young people have virtually no means of renting or owning their own homes; even after they've joined the workforce, they continue to live with their parents for years or even decades after graduation. Given that the average American spends up to one-third of his or her take-home wages on shelter, by sponging off Mom and Dad, young Japanese men and women have significantly more disposable income to spend on themselves; a $600 Louis Vuitton purse -- or a $3,000 ultrathin 1.2-pound laptop -- becomes instantly affordable when you're living rent free.

From SFGate.com

So true, yet I have yet to splurge too much on anything. Credit card bill is looking somewhat painful this month though.