Being poor is expensive in so many ways. If you can buy things with cash, you don’t pay interest rates on anything or carry high interest balances on CCs. You can buy nice modern cars with a warranty that won’t break down all the time and cost money to constantly repair. Like the linked article says, you don’t have to waste energy and mental cycles on thinking how you can feed your kids today, and spend it instead on your career or investing your money. Having no money is a trap. It’s very hard to get out of that situation unless you start from a position of privilege.