[Mr. Bird]

I don't doubt that poorer people spend more than rich people on proms, but the averages the "study" reports seem outlandish. Is there a motivating factor behind Visa's issuing the data? If people are told that proms cost $1k, are they more likely to acquiesce and throw that exhorbitant amount on their credit card?

Let's do some math (and err on the expensive side): Prom ticket: $100 Tux Rental: $250 Dress Purchase: $500 Limo rental: $750 Corsage: $50 Hair: $200

That's nearly $2k, but includes BOTH a dress and a tux, and assumes each kid gets a limo (rather than one limo transporting 4, 6, 8, or 10 kids. I'm not buying (literally and figuratively).

[MrB]

Poor people are more likely to employ outward “wealth signals” to others, because of their self conscious awareness of lack of relative success.

Conspicuous consumption among “the poor”:
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_dismal_science/2008/01/cos_and_effect.html