My Mother and Father have done well for themselves over the long haul. They still have the house I grew up in. They spend their time dragging a camper around New England in the summer, and laying on the beach in Florida during the winter. Yes, Florida, I don't want to hear about it. I don't really know how much money they have because such questions are not asked in our family, but I'm pretty sure they're living well below their means.
They still drive older vehicles, but Dad doesn't fix much anymore except for antique tractors. The funny thing is they typically disapprove of the scope of my DIY projects, but they forget that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
So they didn't chase wealth and are still living happily ever after?