[Joe 6-pack]

"Americans spend $1.2 trillion annually on nonessential goods—in other words, items they do not need."

I have no idea how this figure could even be remotely calculated. Take for instance an automobile. If one has to commute to work, it is a need. If there is public transportation available is it still technically a need or does it become a want? If it is a need to get to work and a $15K Ford Fiesta would be adequate for the purpose but one opts for a $150K Porsche instead, is the $135K overage calculated as a "want", and the $15K considered the "need"?

IMHO, most of these stats are meaningless and only serve the purposes of guilting successful people and promoting class envy.

[bagman]

Yeah, “non-essential goods,” why should my consumption be limited solely to non-essential goods? I render services that someone in society has deemed valuable to earn money to allow to acquire things that I want.

And as you note, how is something deemed essential or not?

[metmom]

I couldn’t spend 1.2 trillion dollars in my entire life if I tried much less every year.