an easy way to actually use a "measure" which I've lived by more or less for most of my adult life.
you're expenses should be about 1/3 of your take home pay.
so however that works out...
if you make $10/hr and its 2,080hrs/yr as a Full Time Equivalent, thats approx $20k/yr.
perhaps, single, so taxes are about 30%, so thats about $14k/yr. maybe there is a tax return every year.
1/3 of $14k/yr is less than $5k/yr. <-- who can live on $5k/yr? you'd have to be homeless (not paying rent), on some sort of assistance, etc... whatever it is, you can't go into debt.
so you got to shoot for at least $20/hr as a single person.
if you spend more than 70% of your take home, there probably is a good chance a person can reduce their expenses in some way.
the 1 pair of pants thing... kind of true.
the other day I was talking with some co-workers, and I had said, "poor people can not afford cheap clothing"
or processed foods as far as thats concerned. <-- health issues = increased cost
so my brother is now in his 2nd year of sobriety. he makes about $10/hr, no car, rides his bike, lives in LA, rides to and from work in Santa Monica. works crazy hours! he honestly busts his butt to make a living. I turned him onto quinoa, etc...
so about 2 years ago I told him about clothing.
I gave him 2 wool base layer shirts, 1 smart wool, the other DeFeet, and I've got him into wearing lightweight knickers, pants, etc...
so every day, when he gets home, takes a shower, he washes some of his clothes with soap, the wool, he just rinses in cold water, hang dries, and puts it back on in the morning. wash clothes while in the shower.
laundry is about $2.50 per load, not to mention buying soap, etc...
energy = money
read, Ivan Illich: Energy and Equity:
https://clevercycles.com/energy_and_equity/
even at $10/hr no high school diploma much less a GED, years of addiction, he has always ridden a bike, but now is sober, more focused and becoming more and more motivated, as he manages to save more and more. currently he's at about $2k saved up. this is with shared rent, a cell phone, health insurance, groceries, et al
maybe he wants to go to bike school to maybe be a certified wrench... who knows...
as they say, "one day at a time"?
this year he managed to buy his own CAAD10
I've had him up to Monterey for about 8 days, we rode about 400 miles during that time, ate like crazy, and enjoyed the "vacation"
the focus is there, he doesn't waste his money, he's got a support group, living a healthy life. heck... he goes to yoga! <-- for $5/class!
myself, I've had money come and go.
in the last 5 years it melted away when I went home to Ventura to help with my dad who had bladder cancer, then my grandmother with alzheimer's and my blind grandfather was just old.
if I were not living a simplified life on a bicycle, I'm not sure if I would have had the option/luxury to quit a job for 5 years and live on what I had saved, along with a few bucks made here and there with some honest effort doing what I personally love most... bikes of course.
so the simple life does have its merit. i fully believe that. however, as the economy is what it is, and by simply living a legit and honest lifestyle, its really hard to avoid things like $1k/month rents, etc... In my experience(s) a balance is prudent. A solid job, simple lifestyle, and maybe you'd get lucky to have some free time to ride your bike.