I think everyone's choices are based around money (wealthy or not). I think the crux of what you're getting at is that the opportunity cost of choices when you're not wealthy is inherently stressful. If the choice is between going out with friends and buying groceries, both options will cause stress due to lack of the other.

I'm at a point in my life where I can essentially go on autopilot when shopping for groceries and not worry about the cost. I still have to make other decisions based on money (do I take a vacation or upgrade my laptop?), but the side effect of those choices is NOT stress.

So there's some minimum income that everyone needs (and it's different between people) where they can "forget" about living expenses and still have a relatively stress-free life. I'd wager somewhere around 1.5x - 2x the cost of living.