Don’t worry about it, seriously. There is nothing awkward about being poor and it definitely is no reason to feel guilty, it just sucks. You’ve probably also experienced that people won’t necessarily help you out under these circumstances, even if you specifically ask for help and if you know they have the money. So, dignity is all you have going for you.
Also remember, there is wealth in other things as well besides money. Besides buying rounds when I could, I’ve always made a huge point out of volunteering and helping people in other ways. Throw your time, smarts and skills around like some people spend their money. Learn how to cook. Learn how to repair stuff. You’ll be fine.
True story: I have two best friends that I’ve known since kindergarten. When I was in a really difficult period a couple of months ago one of them said to me: “You know, if you really get in to trouble, I will always come and bail you out.” We’ve never had to try it out, but you can’t imagine the feeling of support that gave me. Now, I’ve just recently discovered that my other friend is actually insanely rich (compared to all the rest of us), he just never told us before. Guess who typically buys the rounds? Right, the first friend. Guess who is happier? Yup, still the first guy. But, I still love them both. Life is like that.
Your idea of “otherwise-sane people” seems off to me. “Sanity” is not a binary equation, a switch that you can flip on or off. In fact, you’re probably well aware that extremely rational people are susceptible to a lot of the same psychological effect as “the rest”. And there is no reason to think that awareness of such effects as mass hysteria is a full-proof shield for it.
In any case, on to your question. A room full of hardcore scientists can still easily be fooled by a skilled magician and if they are not told they are dealing with a magician, they can even be fooled into a “shared vivid hallucination”. Worse still, in all likelihood some of these hypothetical scientists and “otherwise-sane people” might be the most prominent defenders of their “observations”.