Yeah the reality is greater than the strain because people are still living on credit.
It is amazing how many people I talk to are struggling simply because they wanted that big house or fancy vehicle. They don't usually make the connection themselves but when they talk about finances and then you notice they have a 60k truck...
Yep, see that all the time. Guy I used to work with was absolute trailer trash. He'd get a raise and immediately the lifestyle would go up 2x the raise. He needed a vehicle...bought a used truck that was 80k. He'd get a boob job if he was a woman.
The look I got when I paid off my 22k new car in 18 months (noted because I bought several dozen donuts from the local bakery) was priceless...I don't believe he could even understand how you could do that.