If you're willing to accept a lower standard of living, you can raise a family on a quite modest income. Do we really need TVs and smartphones and hot water? Not to live, but they're widely valued for good reasons.
I feel quite strongly they actually make life worse, not better, so they're a net negative.
I’m a single man who works in Silicon Valley as a researcher and make an upper-middle class salary by national standards. I spend $80 per month for my cable Internet connection, $95 per month on my cell phone plan, and roughly $20 total on subscriptions such as YouTube Premium and Crunchyroll. Yes, cutting these subscriptions won’t help me much with saving for the six-figure down payments needed to buy a home in Silicon Valley, which I’ve resigned myself to never being able to afford unless I win the “startup lottery” or become an executive. However, the ~$200/mo I spend on subscriptions could go a long way toward feeding and clothing kids, especially if money is tight after rent and utilities.