Good quality cheese is also very popular with people who don't have a great deal of money. It tastes good, it's high in protein, so keeps you feeling fuller, it gives energy, calcium, fat soluble vitamins, salt, savoury flavours, is versatile, can be kept out of the fridge in a cool area without spoiling, can be eaten hot or cold, savoury or sweet, used to increase both the flavour and the nutritional content of cheaper carbs - beans and cheese on toast, jacket potato, pasta, bread - and tiny amounts of other protein sources such as meat or fish. It's an incredibly important, nutrient dense, easy storage foodstuff.
It was fundamental to medieval western diets in a way that meat wasn't - after all, you kill a cow, you get food for a short time (other than smoked and cured meats), but if the cow lives and is bred, you get milk immediately, butter immediately-a couple of weeks, but with cheese, it lasts for years even though it appears initially to be spoiled milk.
Buying food that will be eaten and enjoyed is not a reason for shame. It makes no difference to the person being handed their allocated tins of basics beans, some noodles or pasta and some tomato soup that a random person who has no connection to them is eating blue cheese with crackers on Boxing Day.