Two points occur to me in reading this thread. The first is the question posed by the OP and the various responses to it, and the second is the truly unpleasant tone some of those responses are expressed in.
Seriously, the OP just wants advice, there is no need to be so.......judgemental and unpleasant in the tone used.
Re the question asked, it is usually considered good advice to obtain as much RAM as 1) you need, and 2) you can easily afford. Every thread on these fora (and elsewhere) suggests that for an extra $100 (or, in Europe, an extra €100) for a doubling of the basic RAM capacity, is actually good value for the additional power and memory and speed you get. And, in the old days violent debates rich in abuse and laden with insult, occurred between those who recommended 2 RAM or 4 RAM, then similar - and incredibly bad tempered -debates discussed the 4 RAM to 8 RAM issue - why, my advancing years mean that I even remember the spiky debates on how 2 RAM was far far better than 1 RAM, and how only clueless morons and imbeciles thought otherwise.....).
The extra RAM allows for more power, more memory, more heft, less strain on the computer, and - to some extent, 'future proofs' it, as advances in technology mean that new systems invariably hog more power, space and energy than the older ones. So, the advice (mine included) is to get as much as you can afford without stressing yourself.
Having said that, I really don't get the objectionable tone used to those who hold a different view; not everyone games, not everyone can afford to upgrade, or wishes to upgrade annually, not everyone needs maximum available power, although it is very nice to have.
In September 2010, I bought a 13" MBA; at the time, it came with 2 RAM - the maximum available. It was my daily computer until last week (my brother is set to inherit it, and has been eyeing it with unconcealed avid interest). Actually, it was the best computer I have ever owned, and travelled the world - quite literally - with me without demur or giving the slightest problem.
I finally upgraded this past week for a number of reasons, all of which are of equal importance. The first is that some months ago, I started a new job, which is rather well remunerated, sufficiently so that purchasing a MBA does not cause my credit card to smoke in horror. Secondly, even more importantly, the three year cycle is the one I pay closest heed to, not technology advances, (even though I monitor those). Three years after purchase means that my Applecare will expire in September. That is when I buy a new computer, to which Applecare will also be added in due course. The third reason, and note, it is not the most important, but, obviously, given the topic, it is of relevance, is that I noticed that my lovely MBA was beginning to show beachballs a bit more frequently than hitherto, hence, clearly there was a need for an actual upgrade.
So, I have bought (and am writing this on) an 11", with 8 RAM (yes, I jumped from 2 to 8), 256 SSD and an i7 core. To be honest, I would have been perfectly happy with an i5, but this model was on offer as a refurb at a very attractive price, and, as a CTO I had also ordered would not have been ready for a further week, I bought this.
The point of this tale is that people usually have their own reasons - usually quite logical to them - as to why they buy certain versions of certain models at certain times. Advise them on what seems the better option, and make such arguments as can be made in support of a case in favour of, say, more RAM, but please don't sneer or mock at choices subsequently made by those who buy less powerful, or modern models.
