Honest question: Is the 'latte factor' advice actually useful or is it just rich people blaming poor spending habits for poverty?

You've heard it: "Stop buying coffee and you'll be rich."

I have mixed feelings about this.

The case FOR it: Small daily expenses compound. ₱150 coffee daily = ₱54,750/year. Invested over 10 years at 8% return = ~₱800,000+. That's not nothing.

The case AGAINST it: If you earn ₱15,000/month, the real problem isn't coffee. It's income, not lattes. Telling low-income earners to skip coffee while ignoring systemic issues is tone-deaf.

My actual take: The latte factor is a useful mental model for middle-income earners. It's a distraction for people in genuine financial hardship who need income solutions, not spending cuts.

Know which situation you're in before applying the advice.

What's your take — useful framework or classist oversimplification?