I dunno, after growing up ~poor and now working in tech I am still acutely aware of prices. Because I have to make an effort to tell myself I can afford things

I dunno, after growing up ~poor and now working in tech I am still acutely aware of prices. Because I have to make an effort to tell myself I can afford things easily, many of my purchases tend to be baseline-cheap or with no concern for the price, with less middle ground than one would expect. Sometimes I have relapses when I pick up my usual fancy coffee bag and I'm like "why are you buying fancy coffee, the store brand has twice as much beans for the same price", so I have to be like "it's ok, whatever, I can afford it". Which is probably also not too healthy. Still, with that background, I do notice things... Like e.g. someone I know who grew up lower middle class in America (n=1, admittedly) being surprisingly oblivious of prices in the grocery store. Buying $7 artisanal ice-cream when $3 ice-cream is just as good - it's literally $100/mo right there, just on one item. Sure, they can easily afford it now, but I wonder if the notion that it costs $100/mo even crosses their mind in any way. I see people who look like they are homeless (there's a big extremely-affordable-housing apartment building next to the store) buying fancy beer... when I was poor I was drinking Bud Light equivalent ;) I am only slightly judging - to each their own, but then, it might indeed cramp your spending elsewhere.