The majority of folks are forced to live paycheck to paycheck, not of their own volition. I'd be fine for quite some time, heck I could probably semi retire so to speak.
The majority of people who read Hacker News? Uh. No.
Car trouble? Savings gone. Any sort of medical issue? Savings gone.
I actually think those folks are more financially disciplined than us, given they somehow make it work despite their low pay.
Now:
1. Is there a substantial minority who genuinely can only really live hand-to-mouth in the US? Yes.
2. Is it obviously much easier for those of us who have tech-job incomes to put away substantial savings than it is for the median family? Also yes.
3. Am I personally some kind of paragon of financial discipline? No.
4. Is it understandable why many people live closer to paycheck-to-paycheck than they could? Yes.
But I don't think that hyperbole serves anyone here.
Go accept a $67k job (which is actually higher than each of my non tech friends, but whatever), and then go live somewhere on that (renting too!). After a few years, show me how much you've saved. I have zero doubt you'll find it's been eaten up by emergencies, etc. Then get laid off! Hopefully you don't have family to take care of either. I don't even want to think about what happens to your health in that time (fitness, nutrition, etc.).
That's why I have major respect for folks who do it. I don't think I'd have the resolve.
That's also why I fight for better pay / social safety net for all. They shouldn't have to live like that.
I have a low tolerance for making light of other's situations.
Why not admit it takes a good amount of financial discipline (if not superhuman)?
What does it cost your ego to admit that?
Financial discipline is hard, it's totally understandable why people don't save as much as would be optimal. I also don't save as much as is optimal. It requires good financial discipline to save money when your budget is limited.
But it doesn't require living like a monk or spending every minute of every day pinching pennies to put away $1000 to $3000 or so per year for most Americans, and if you do that you'll be insulated against the kind of minor disasters that happen once a decade or so.
I worked a ton of awful jobs before breaking into the industry. A lot of people don't know what it's like to be stepped on in STEM fields but its a constant thing for lower echelons of our society. Cold World
The majority of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck choose to live paycheck to paycheck and act like every expense is an obligation.
I, to be fair, have been one of them for significant amounts of time, but I chose it and the consequences which were of my own making.