Let's do some math. Saving 32k a year on 80 grand is not in fact as easy as falling off a log.
80k - (taxes + tithe) = 52k. we saved 32k per year, so that is 2 people living on 20k. Don't tell me it can't be done, I did it.
For single parents making 28k 20 grand is always going to be a lot of money. That's why I said most, not all. As it happens, single parents with 28k in income is not the median, not even close. There are a lot of people making a lot more than that. I was clearly not referring to the people living at the poverty line. FWIW, ~25% of America makes less than 30k[1]. The other 75% is who my comment was directed to. But hey, it's easier to be snarky than to let facts get in the way.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_...
Oh, God, this bullshit again.
When you've got two adults with no kids making 80K a year, "living frugally" and saving money is as easy as falling off a log. Now try doing that on 28K as a single parent, just for example. When you haven't eaten out in a year, clip coupons every day, get all your clothes from Goodwill, and are still only breaking even if everything goes right and the car doesn't break down and no one gets sick, "simply spend less than you make" is about as realistic as "simply grow wings and fly."
And don't try to tell me that that's a tiny minority of the population. In modern America, it's really not.