Mom was raised by her dirt poor grandparents.
Mom's requirement before she would marry dad was he had to have a house.
Dad and Grandpa build a house debt free.
After their wedding they went to the Creamery and Dad bought a case of butter. Cheaper by the case. Mom thought she married a rich man because she never had butter growing up or at her Grandparents. Dad agreed to give a pound to mom's grandparents on the way back home.
We always had food to eat, a roof over our heads and dry warm beds to sleep in.
Dad worked his entire life up to retirement and expensive no hobbies. If he didn't have the cash it didn't get bought. On retirement He had a pension, SS, savings and a solid house with a new roof and siding.
Mom was tired of the carpeting and wanted new. Dad said, "We don't have money for that."
Mom wanted the garage floor painted. Dad said, "We don't have money for that."
When dad died I sat down with mom and went over her finances. Mom isn't rich but dad left her comfortable. "We had money for carpet and we could have..." was mom's reaction when saw the bank balances. "Yes Mom. Dad could have bought all these things for you but he was more concerned about you being financially secured." Dad was 12 years older then mom and husbands usually die before their mates, he had done the math.
Mom's SS is enough to pay for the M-F Caregiver. Her next biggest expense is property taxes.