Nobody lives in her shoes

From now on, personal finance books are no longer allowed to illustrate the dangers of not saving money using the "Sex and the City" subplot of Carrie Bradshaw realizing she's spent enough on shoes for a down payment.

I could get into the nitty-gritty math on why this is an absurd example in the specific, but The Frenemy does that much better. My main objection is, this is a fictional character. It means just as much as saying "If you don't plan for your future, you could end up vulnerable to sketchy cash deals, like that couple in 'Indecent Proposal.'" Or advising against investing in real estate based on "Arrested Development." It's an example that is essentially meaningless, because there are plenty of real people whose financial mistakes can be cited and instructive. And it's fairly condescending to people who, by dint of even picking up a book about personal finance, are smarter than to be surprised that things cost money.

Thank you, and good day.