It’s certainly a part of some cultures. Showing off money is often seen as vulgar and degrading.

Somewhat relevant comedy sketch

Paying 30k for a fully decorated Christmas tree.

Especially strange to me, as I assumed decorating the tree was part of the experience.

Agreed. It’s a conversation topic, I fully agree.

What’s the cheapest way to gaslight these data points?

Let’s say one has $10 to spare, what would you buy to ruin their model?