How do people figure stuff out?

I have a 105 year old uncle that recently past away, he lived his entire life with no savings spent every dollar he made once his bills were paid, when turned 40 years he retired and lived off of investment dividends after taxes made a little over hundred thousand dollars a year still lived with out saving his money he had some gold he accumulated through out the years of his life. My family was recently having conversation about it they don’t understand how was able live with no savings. He always seem figure stuff out when in need, most of the gold he had from accumulating it over the years he had when he died. When he died the only account he had it had 1000.00 for his bills.