The point is the person buying the cheaper boots each year could get a loan to buy a more expensive pair. Overall the actual costs may be very similar but he has had a nice pair of boots instead of cheap ones.
I get that it depends on each persons circumstances but so many people make the mistake of thinking a £5k - £10k car with 30,000 - 50,000 miles on it every 3-6 years is a bargain compared to leasing a new one. Ironically more often than not the depreciation/interest/maintenance costs mean they end up being a very similar but never ending cost that never goes away.
So as many have found out they could be in a brand new Corsa/Fiesta/Polo/Golf/Focus that costs ~£200 - £250 per month instead of the 4 - 7 year old version that has no warranty and yearly maintenance, depreciation and loan interest costs.
I sound like a leasing salesman but the reality is I always tell people to look at their specific case scenario. Because borrowing £6k - £7k every 3-4 years to buy a used car may seem practical but look at the bigger picture. Out of all the cheaper ~£10,00 four year old cars I bought only 1 never had issues that cost a fair whack to resolve. £2,000 - £3,000 per year on loan interest, depreciation, maintenance and MOTs were the norm.