that they don't waste it on things like mortgages, car debt, credit cards, and other bad habits that keep people at "average" and "normal" net worth.
How is a mortgage a waste? You even listed it first as if to denote it's importance of being avoided. Owning your own home is advantageous for a lot of reasons, but the most important of which is people base their rent prices on what their mortgage costs. If you're renting - you're paying off someone else's mortgage for them. Unless you want to be single your whole life and rent a flat with a bunch of other guys I fail to see how renting would ever be worthwhile over purchasing.
The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy.