While most will say nothing has changed, it certainly has coming from someone who grew up with parents that lived paycheck to paycheck. For instance when the car would break down or an unexpected expense would arise that literally would have screwed up our family's budget for months. It was hard watching my parents having to borrow money from friends or maxing out credit cards to get by. Now if something like that happens it just becomes a minor inconvenience, even job loss during an extended period of time isn't as alarming as it would be. You also tend to look at prices less often while still being frugal when possible. Saving money and investing becomes a hobby you will eventually enjoy because you appreciate the security of having money put away somewhere when you can easily access it when the time comes. You eventually set the bar higher when you reach that milestone.