I will say it's also easier to stretch a dollar when you have more money. There are some things that everyone needs where if you have more money up front you can buy something that will last longer and save you money over a period of time. Meanwhile if you're living paycheck to paycheck you may not have the money up front and need to go with the cheaper option and ultimately spend more money over time than the wealthier person. But again it's hard to even think about that let alone act on it when doing so could jeopardize being able to pay rent (which can in itself be an example of such a thing compared to owning a home,).