I understand everyone has their own financial priorities, but I personally would prioritize my glasses over purchasing an iPhone (clearly visible in the first picture in the article). That being said, I'd also live in an area with a more favorable cost-of-living if I needed to busk in order to make ends meet. Though he clearly enjoys busking, and he can do as he pleases.

Point being his comment about budgetary constraints irked me.

Not me. I refuse to pay more than about $30 for glasses. I hate them—hate that they exist, hate the way they look, and hate that my optical organs are sub par enough to require them. Why should I spend a bunch of money on something I hate so much? I'll happily drop $2500 for a laptop and the $3000 I spent on LASIK was money well spent, but no glasses in the world are worth more than a couple bucks. To me.