I don't get out much, so I have no clue how others are doing. I'll admit that shit sucks right now, but I haven't been living paycheck to paycheck since working part time in my early 20s over a decade ago. I live in a low COL area and make about $35-$40,000 a year. I only spend maybe $15,000 a year. I may never be able to buy a house, but I'm far off from paycheck to paycheck. It makes me wonder if people who are living that way are maybe just living outside of their means?
In New Zealand there is no such thing as a low COL area, and where there is, it is a small village in the middle of nowhere that has literally no job openings available.
Single (but pretty good) income, and also not paycheck to paycheck. I've got an extra couple of paychecks in the bank and could draw off my retirement for quite a while because I put everything except a couple of paychecks ahead into either retirement or into paying off my house. Pretty much all my friends are living paycheck to paycheck though.
I grew up poor as hell so I'm doing my damnedest to actually have some time to relax.