The blue blood half of my family taught me that it is rude to show up at a social event with food or wine; it implies somehow that the host can't adequately provide. I belonged to two bridge groups for years who followed this protocol and made a point of informing new players who didn't know this up front that no one was to ever bring anything but their good cheer; the host provides everything else. A thank you and possibly future invite for the host to another event that you organize are the most expected. Therefore my dad usually shows up empty handed unless the invitation clearly indicates that it is a pot luck or BYOB; it's just the way he was raised. You might think he is wrong or being a cheapskate, but his grandmother (RIP) would sternly correct you.
OTOH, The poor half of my family wouldn't be caught dead showing up to an event at someone else's house without food or drink. This seems to now be the norm for lower, middle, and upper middle-class America. My mom complains about it because she doesn't want to bring booze so she feels she can't go anywhere without making something, and she grows weary of it. Every invitation accepted actually means more work in the kitchen for her.
Also "bring something to every event" is not the norm in some cultures. For example, I clearly offended my ex's boss's wife (they were from India) by showing up with wine at a dinner they were hosting. She tried to hide it, but I caught the glimpse of distaste on her face when she saw that I was holding a bottle. She had plenty of her own wine to serve and mine was taken as a sign that she didn't have enough for us.
Different upbringings, different cultures, different expectations.
I guarantee you that some people are going to be pissed at me when I retire early no matter how generous I am right now with my time, beer, and baked goods. Because if one is sitting on a "big pile of money," one should have chipped in more all along, right? Particularly when someone has asked for your money and you have declined (which I have done twice now with the worst of spendthrift family members), the revelation that you had money all along is going to spark ire.