My phone got dunked, so it was off to Wal-Mart to buy a basic $50 LG model. I couldn't finish the activation on the US Cellular website, so I made the short drive to the local US Cell store. Every phone, tablet and smart watch in the place came with a monthly payment figure instead of a straight-up price. My $50 phone was listed at $5/month, or $150 over time. Is the general public that broke? Some of this can be attributed to economic illiteracy, but much of what was on display shows just how cash poor many people are in an allegedly "strong economy".