I think the issue is that you're assuming there's a 'right' way to handle money, and that's following MMM, and that everyone else is just stupid/ignorant/no willpower/whatever.
Full disclosure: I follow MMM to the tune of... 40%? of his advice? Maybe? (And, y'know, that's enough to go a long way) Because other things make me happier than what he values, and that means our spending aligns differently, and that's genuinely ok. I'm going to work longer than he is as a consequence, I'm legitimately ok with that! Example: I will never have an electric scooter or backyard office of whatever description (no matter how he justifies that he can have/need/want them). Some people here pay for restaurants more than twice a year because it's a net positive in their life: I don't. I pay for a housecleaner because it lets me work more hours without missing out on time with my kids (and so in the end I have more money and equal kid time) - I'm sure some people here would be utterly scandalized, but that seems to be key to living a life I like. The key is to take responsibility for your life, not assume you'll be working forever, align your spending with your goals, and work from there to save as much as possible to meet those goals. We all have different goals and standards, and so different means of attaining them!
In this case... is the person whining at you that they never have any money? Expecting you to make up the shortfall? Complaining that they'll never retire? Whining about emergencies that they can't cover and expecting you to make up the difference? TOTALLY makes them fair game for mockery - that's a complete lack of self-awareness and priorities that don't match spending in a really basic fashion, and then they proceed to make it your business. But someone who just asks for info, evaluates, and then proceeds to do differently because they don't want what you want? Enh. That's their life.
