The majority of society isn’t chasing millionaire lifestyles. They're chasing peace of mind. They want "the washer quit, and we replaced it" money. They want "the dentist bill came, and we paid it" money. They want "the deductible hit, but the mortgage still cleared" money.

For most families, feeling rich would mean having enough margin that an emergency doesn't become a crisis. That's the kind of freedom people are really chasing.