Growing up, I would earn a quarter per chore — a quarter each for washing dishes, dusting, sweeping, and more. I pocketed the quarters, hopped on my bike, and rode four blocks to the main thoroughfare in my town of 1,000.

I would peruse toy racks at the pharmacy and hardware store, drool over bulk candy at the grocery store and the flower shop, and peer at notepads in the glass case at the newspap...