That wasn't the question; what percentage of the economy is from purchases that fall into the category of "I could do without"?

The question is, the NYTimes article linked on HN with 120 comments... would you pay 5cents to read it?

The decision to buy can definitely be irrational, but that can cut both ways. Buyers might decide against purchasing even when the product is clearly affordable.

Consider the Facebook social reader apps like the Washington Post. If you click through from your Facebook news feed, you need to authorize the app to read the article. It's a one-button form, it's totally free, and you could revoke the app whenever you want. And yet, a huge percentage of people cancel out of it.

Would I pay 5 cents to read a NYTimes article from Hacker News? Maybe yes, maybe no, depends on the article. The point is that I would be forced into my "purchase mindset" every time.