I think getting fired in my 20s was the best thing to happen to me. It taught me the value of an emergency fund and what it really means to "live within your means"<p>Later, I resisted lifestyle inflation with each promotion and raise and budgeting comes easily to me now. Money makes me happy, not because I can spend it immediately but having a pile of it means my employers have almost no power over me. Real or imagined.<p>I want to do well at work for status not survival, it feels much more sustainable over decades.<p>p.s. please dont do the boring thing and say "well we all cant be fired in the past and sit on a pile of cash, in my life <blah blah>". yes congratulations you have discovered you aren't me and this isn't advice.