Yes... OP was asking how folks that felt they had 'succeeded' financially did it...
I'll offer my two cents with 2 answers... One general and one more specific.
First, understand the basic premise found in the book "The Wealthy Barber" - pay yourself first... Regardless of what you do, what job, what industy or trade or vocation you find yourself in - always pay yourself from your cashflow first... And keep this money as your nest egg... Don't ever spend it on anything that diminishes in value over time. If you fail to ever grasp this concept, then regardless of whether you make $40k a year, or $250k a year - you will never be truly wealthy... You may have good cash flow, but when the cash stops flowing you are broke again...
In my case, i worked for 30 years at a good job, made a few good (mostly lucky) decisions on homes that gave me equity, left with my pension and consulted for a while... Consulting is lucrative if you get contracts...p
Go get em...