I often find its the consumables that get in the way. Having to stretch for some potions often means putting up with sub-par equipment whilst you grind more cash out of the game. JRPG's are very guilty of this crime and its only recent titles like Xenoblade Chronicles and FFXV that have sidestepped this with health that just regenerates outside battle.

I always liked how Final Fantasy VIII sidestepped this problem by giving the player a salary from their mercenary backjob that gets paid into your account every 25k steps in-game (so you can't leave it on overnight to get rich). This is based on a series of exams you can take based on the in-game lore which used to be very clever until the internet made it easy to cheat!