I see your point; but I believe it all depends on the person.
My wife and I earn 5 times as much as we did 20 years ago (and I am adjusting for inflation). We lived paycheck to paycheck then and we live paycheck to paycheck now.
The only difference is that we have a better house, better cars, we eat better, have better things etc.
Spenders spend and savers save - if I don't blow it on booze it will get spent somewhere else.