what's the deal with people insisting "they don't want money" while ... taking it?

[Altruist]

Social rituals are tiresome

Some of them*

i get that people are sometimes legit uncomfortable taking money for something, even if deserved

i get that people sometimes say that just for the sake of it, because it's a ritual, as you say, to avoid looking greedy

but repeatedly insisting on "not being the money guy" (the stuff i described in the op, regardless of how it's verbalized) while "forgetting" to say "this is on me, you don't have to pay" is pretty annoying, specially because of how it usually pans out if you just thank them for the service and also "forget" to pay. i guess those people count those situations like they didn't actually charge you in their heads if they say enough of that "i'm not a materialist, bro" bs