Well you asked so here goes the sob story! LOL.
I grey up with dad passing at 9yo and mom raising me and for the most part i had a decent roof over my head, clothes, etc. I was always the kid that really didn't want a whole lot because i knew we couldn't afford it so i made due. At 12-13yo me and a buddy were dragging his dads lawn mover, weed whacker and leaf blower all over town knocking on every door that needed grass cut and would mostly blow it on candy, junk food, etc. When i turned 15yo we live in a mobile home park and the maintenance guy asked if i wanted a summer job and i raked straw, planted grass, sprayed weed killer, etc and worked 8-10hrs a day. When i turned 16yo it was time to run the riding mower, front end loader/tractor lifting cinder blocks, mulch, dirt, pulling weeds, etc. I thought i was hot [beeep] with my 80hr check of $600. I always wanted to hunt so at 14yo took a hunter safety class and at 15yo mom bought me a compound bow which i still have 15yrs later. I spent a lot of money on arrows, field tips, etc hiding in the weeds in the back of the trailer park hoping to shoot a deer. (i was dumb) 16yo came and my BIL gave me an old beat up pump to hunt with and i killed a lot of pheasants and stuff with that gun until i turned 18yo i wanted a new Mossberg 500 combo and paid for it with money from working mcdonalds and the landscaping job. At 16yo i talked mom into using my money for a cva optima too. Most my money went for hunting and fishing gadgets until i purchased my first car when i was 160yo and then all my money went for that truck and more hunting and fishing crap that fell apart.
I got myself in a little mess after college they would send me extra money along with paying the college incase i needed extra stuff so i thought i was smart in paying off the 24% interest rate truck and now have an extra $8k or so that i just pissed away. cheap tree stands, guns, bows, gear, etc. I got a job after my trade/high school working for a security company and they put me in the projects and i blew a lot of money on belts, batons, mace, uniforms, boots, handcuffs, etc cause once again i was young 18yo and thought a bunch of crap was cool. College was finished and i took a job with the worlds largest private security firm full time watching bank cameras and vaults, worked part time at the projects now armed so then came the pistol, magazines, vest, more crap for the belt and now 3 jobs at once. Tue-Sat at the bank Fri-sun night at the projects and anything in between i could find. I almost went cheap on the handgun but glad i didn't cause it was there to god forbid save my life.
I then got a decent paying job working for an armored truck company and still worked the projects and then one day a week at the bank and saved a lot of money until i decided i wanted a brand new truck. Truck took all my money, eating out with friends, taking girls out, lots and lots of bullets for the range, more hunting gear and cheap guns and scopes only to eventually be replaced cause of failure. I am single so no real responsibilities other then normal bills. I found myself wanting expensive rifles, shotguns, tree stands, clothes, etc but could never swallow the pill for a $600 rifle so i settled for a $300 rifle and shotgun always saying i only use it a few times a year what's the point. well the point was the cheap guns would malfunction, lock up, misfire, etc. I was always a sucker for a deal when i got a stoeger 20ga U/O for like $200 and took it rabbit hunting one day and fired at a rabbit only to blow its back legs off cause stoeger doesn't mark chokes to see what your firing. I tried shooting again through the thick mess as it screamed and attempted to run off but the gun wouldn't fire. I cracked it open and closed and nothing so loaded another shell and nothing meanwhile this rabbits screaming and crawling away i was so pissed i almost smashed the gun against a tree!
Now I work one job and hate cheap crap! I've upgraded tree stands, clothes, etc by just saving. Ditched the old cheap Muzzleloader and got a better one, ditched the cheap single shot deer rifle and now have a nice marlin, ditched anything that's not vortex, Nikon or leupold. I now save up for it until i can afford it and if i need it right away to replace something that failed i will put it on a credit card and each payday pay some on it. I have hit homeruns with things such as the savage axis. I would take it over a rem 700. Money still sucks but ill put away $20 until i can afford something better. I think the growing up piss poor keeps me from buying higher end stuff unless its for work, etc. Im still in the if it gets the job done class but its gotta be at least middle of the road getting the job done not lower class.