Eh. Anyone who piled up a hunk of savings and invested it in the 2000s saw it get decimated or hemimated and took a hit against happiness. Taking more vacation or a fun lower paying job might well have been higher utility.
But yeah, having a savings cushion while unemployment is rampant is satisfying.
I paid off $35k worth of student loan debt within 3 years of graduating. While I was in debt, earning more to pay it off was a great motivator. Now that I'm debt free and have my basic living costs covered without worry, more money just does not motivate me anymore.
The most depressing comment I read on HN was one guy telling a story about a sales manager he knew that encouraged his sales people to go into debt so they would be more motivated to earn more and therefore, make more sales.
But yeah, having a savings cushion while unemployment is rampant is satisfying.