I am in the camp of living quite plainly and simply in the now, in order to be more comfortable in the future. Debts are in the last stages of repayment, aside from my living property, and after those debts are paid, I will double down on the home, which is a private mortgage, thankfully. Not doing too bad, I think, and at least I still have a bit of savings stashed away for emergencies.
It seems to be the way to go I reckon; a lot of people tend to want to live extravagantly but I wonder what the true cilost if that is and if those people are genuinely happy because of it.
As long as those people remain oblivious to the numbers they will continue to live extravagantly. On the other hand, if they were to run the numbers, it would most likely make them sick. I live simply, but lack for nothing, and I am quite happy. It eases my mind to think of having a nest egg to fall back on in the years to come.
You sound a lot like me (without the swearing.) I have nice things, no doubt, but I find enjoyment and relevance in other ways, not through buying things. Experiences and all, small things like time to read and reflect, nature, better relationships and so on. As for that feeling of sickness you mention for others, yep indeed. If they saw their position laid out in numbers (and their future) they'd not like the look of it.