I get that financial literacy is an issue in underprivileged and low-income groups. But it doesn't take much brainpower or financial knowledge to treat your credit card like your debit card and not spend more than you have in your checking account.
Functionally, a credit card would work exactly like your debit card or cash, except you would also be reaping all the benefits of credit cards and improved credit scores.
But overall, I agree with your point about cost-benefit analysis and impulse control being difficult to overcome.
> I often wonder how people on the verge of eviction think about this kind of thing — whether it is salient or even understandable
My answer is that people in those situations think about these things very differently than people who have never encountered them. Or, flip it -- if dings on your credit score are the worst speedbump that society has thrown in your path, you probably don't have the skills necessary to live broke.
Functionally, a credit card would work exactly like your debit card or cash, except you would also be reaping all the benefits of credit cards and improved credit scores.
But overall, I agree with your point about cost-benefit analysis and impulse control being difficult to overcome.