One of the three carriers in Canada is about to do away with prepaid entirely in December. That said, I have a pretty affordable monthly plan and I buy my phones outright.
I genuinely am pretty stable under pressure. What happens, though, is that work will just keep piling on the pressure until you hit your breaking point.
I saw one for the first time ever recently and it looks even worse in person than in pictures. I have still, mercifully, only ever seen one.