That's the thing, though. People in the good old days often couldn't afford expensive appliances right away either. They budgeted and saved until they could, or relied on it being given as a gift (small appliances were a common wedding present)
But the brainwashing for rampant consumerism has largely made that a thing of the past. People won't just toast their bread on a skillet for a few months until they can afford a quality toaster.