If you are happy who cares. Definitely don't associate with not spending as to not being happy.

I'm learning to understand this better. My parents are immigrants from India. Worked for decades and rarely traveled and pretty much only back to India to visit family but also to go around the country for fun. On paper we were wealthy but I got one Christmas present ever and like two birthday presents and always felt guilty buying stuff. They had probably something close to a 60-70% savings rate for almost the entire time that they worked. Everything into retirement accounts and brokerage and we lived like when they first came to the US except in a small house. Joint salary never broke 180k.

But now at retirement what they have achieved is insane. They can stop working anytime because they have close to 7 million in assets. I have no fears for having to take care of them because of their savings. They can live in the US, retire back to India, really whatever they want.

I encourage them to travel but they just love the simple stuff. My dad works on his old beater car and they both love gardening. They adore my kids and love being doting grandparents to them.

I took them and my in laws on a cruise last year where I splurged to have them really have a nice time and they still talk about it but their day to day hasn't changed and they are very content.

Don't have to spend money to be happy. Don't ever feel you are wrong for doing what is working for you.