It's the ability to do what you want with your time, and to (increasingly with more wealth) say fuck you to people who try to force you into this or that.

It's also the increased ability to change things (for you, others, your city, or even your whole country) towards what you want to happen, aka power and influence.

"Being able to buy nice stuff" is the benefit of being rich that poor (or well-offish but still mostly aspiring to greater wealth) people think being rich is about...