I think childhood and memories have a lot to do with certain reactions. my father drew up in the depression, so he never wanted to waste anything. he would horde things beyond the point of usefulness, just in case he might need them. and even when he was moderately well off, he was always frugal - because of that memory of the depression when people struggled to find enough food to eat and things had to be fixed. buying something new was considered wasteful. 

this is a habit that he passed on to me, so while i never wanted for the basics, I always saved my money for what if. and that has been the thing that has saved me in a time when jobs are no longer easy to find.  to me its a smart mindset, as long as you aware of why you do it and dont beat yourself for it