In order to even consider the problem in terms of savings though, we first have to get to a place where 78% of American workers are not living paycheck to paycheck.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2019/01/11/live-pa...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2019/01/11/live-pa...
Of course a budget doesn't always work. Sometimes one can only reduce their spending so much but still not reach a balanced budget let alone save a few dollars. In those cases the income side of the equation needs to be focused on. I suspect, but don't have data to back this up, that the job market isn't as strong as the official numbers would lead us to believe so there might not be a higher paying opportunity waiting down the street. Certainly wage growth is lagging. There is definitely a disconnect between the macro economy and Main St. in a lot of towns.
This is a huge problem that is only getting bigger as health care costs continue to rise, particularly for people stuck in the Medigap in retirement. But there are no easy answers or short cuts. I think we continue to do what we can to chip away at the problem and, like with budgeting, small improvements can have outsized results over the long term.