Some examples from the microdata. Names are fictitious.
Paul K. is 40 and divorced. He lives in Kentucky with one other adult in a 2br/1ba mobile home that he owns free and clear. His household earned $4,284 while spending a total of $8,489. Of that, $3,770 was spent on food, $300 on housing and $2,295 on transportation.
Sarah C. is 32 and single. She lives in Texas with a kid in a 4br/2ba single-family house that she occupies without paying cash rent. She has an annual after-tax income of $10,725 of which $8,931 was spent.
Lydia L. is 79 and married. She lives in Illinois with 1 other adult in a rented 2br/2ba apartment. Lydia’s household receives $13,260 from SS (which is the entirety of their income) and has annual expenses of $11,186. In 2016, they spent $4,479 on food, $5,040 on housing, and $492 on transportation.
On the other end of the spectrum...
Joshua S. is 40 and married. He lives in California with 1 other adult and 2 kids in a rented 3br/2ba apartment. They have an annual household after-tax income of $249,850 with expenses of $144,072. In 2016, they spent $12,415 on food, $39,876 on housing, and $10,074 on transportation.
Would anyone be interested in more of these to see some “profiles in frugality?”
One thing that I am noticing, is that I am not finding many young people in the 99th percentile of frugality, suggesting that preferences or some kind of wisdom/mastery is at work. Extremely low food, housing and/or transportation costs are the norm here. The vast majority in this group does not receive welfare either. There was 1 household with a 50% savings rate, but everyone else is spending everything they earn. Can’t tell if it is semi-ERE or involuntary.