Grocery Budget Crunch: The Rise of Buy Now, Pay Later for Household Essentials

Hey Satsmate Stackers, 

We are seeing a rise in people using buy now, pay later for everyday essentials. With the significant increase in inflation, interest rates, unemployment, and potential tariffs, households are feeling more squeezed than ever. 

Many consumers are starting to realize they don't have anywhere else to turn, and are starting to finance everyday things such as fast food, groceries, or even concert tickets. This is normalizing a bad behavior, and will further stretch consumers who are already facing pressure. In today's podcast, I go over the following topics and discuss my opinion: 

• Many recognize that the wealthy are growing richer while the poor face increasing financial strain in today’s economy.
• LendingTree reports that approximately 25% of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) transactions are used for grocery purchases.
• Consumers are financing essentials like bread, milk, and eggs, a trend that harms the medium- and long-term health of the economy.
• From my perspective, if you can’t afford to pay for something in cash two to three times over, you can’t truly afford it.
• Rising inflation is pushing consumers to their limits, leading many to finance necessities like tomatoes, milk, and eggs—an outrageous development.
• While BNPL installments may appear small, the broader issue is far more concerning.
• Society is normalizing the financing of necessities such as water, food, gas, and utilities.
• Historically, loans were reserved for significant purchases like land or cars; now, you can finance something as trivial as a Chipotle burrito.
• High inflation, elevated interest rates, concerns about tariffs, and a tightening job market signal a potential recession and increased reliance on BNPL.
• Shockingly, 60% of Coachella attendees financed their tickets with as little as $50 down for a concert.
• Everyone listening to this podcast should prioritize building an emergency fund and avoid BNPL tools.
• Many believe they can outsmart or optimize the system, but the best financial strategy is to pay in full, avoiding fees, interest, and the burden of debt.

I always appreciate all the support you guys give me on this podcast, Please feel free to share it around or click one of the links below for your support! 

Best Regards, 

The SatsMate Stack

Fold Credit Card: https://foldapp.com/credit-card?r=qMB4P

Referral to Stacker News: Circular economy with bitcoin discussions involved!  https://stacker.news/r/SatsMate

Primary Bitcoin Buys Through Strike: The primary place I go to buy Bitcoin. https://invite.strike.me/2MSTYG 

Secondary Bitcoin Buys Through Fold: A nice exchange w/ rewards & bitcoin buys.
https://use.foldapp.com/r/HTFKVY9L

https://zbd.gg/GalmaDuFria This is my personal QR code. It allows anyone to send me Bitcoin and messages directly to my ZEBEDEE. lnurl1dp68gurn8ghj7ctsdyh85etzv4jx2efwd9hj7a3s9aex2ut4v4ehgttnw3shg6tr943ksctjvajhxtmpxuurjcmxxvuz6wf58q6z6drpv5uj6c3jvy6z6epexe3ryd3kxe3kvcnr7y2uzj

Financial Disclaimer: Nothing stated in this video is a recommendation from SatsMate to buy or sell a particular security or asset class. It would help if you wisely considered your tolerance for risk, time horizon, and financial goals before investing. With investing, you risk