yep. Nailed it.
I drive about 135 miles ever day for work, half of that gravel roads. I buy the heaviest, most durable tires I can find. I end up spending about $650 per set, but I’ve set aside that money over the course of time. Buying tires is not an emergency, it’s a planned expense. The people in the story cannot do math, nor plan ahead. I’ll bet they have unlimited data plans on their multiple smart phone packages, though.