Indeed, many borrowed to finance their spending, with the result that the proportion of poorer households in financial distress or filing for bankruptcy was significantly higher in areas where the rich earned (and spent) more. Were it not for such imitative consumption, non-rich households would have saved, on average, more than $800 annually in recent years.
与收入较低家庭“尽力赶上富豪”的观点一致的是，居住在高消费富裕消费者附近的小康之家会将大量支出花在富裕家庭的常见消费项目上，比如珠宝、美容、养生和家政服务等。事实上，许多人通过贷款来维持支持，这导致了在富人收入（和支出）更高的地区，较穷家庭陷入财务困境甚至破产的比例显著较高。若不是这种模仿性消费的话，小康之家近几年平均应能增加800美元的年储蓄。