The New York Times had an article a while back about how conspicuous consumption habits vary by region, and only sometimes by income. In out-and-about and status-conscious New York City, rich and poor alike spend a disproportionate amount of income on shoes in watches.<p>An interesting takeaway was that in Cleveland, conspicuous consumption of premium sodas and cigarettes were far higher than anywhere in the nation. I suppose when you&#x27;re really that poor, you&#x27;ll do - or buy - anything to feel that you aren&#x27;t.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;mobile.nytimes.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;12&#x2F;14&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;sunday&#x2F;what-people-buy-where.html?referer=" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;mobile.nytimes.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;12&#x2F;14&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;sunday&#x2F;what-peo...</a>