Seriously....you don't think that some of us who are now "living comfortably" didn't struggle?? I made poor choices early in life, along with a couple of good ones, namely joining the Air Force, that caused significant issues in my 20's and 30's. At one point, I had no job after having back surgery a month prior, a wife, a child with a chronic, life altering health condition, a house payment I could no longer afford because the savings was gone, etc. I went to the public aid office where I was told that I was ineligible for services because I owned too many assets and that I would need to sell one of my two cars, both of which were still financed (and one that I am still driving 8 years later). Couldn't even get KidCare for my son, although I had zero income. So, I filed for Chapter 13, took 2 jobs I was massively overqualified for, began working 70-80 hours a week, and kept my head above water while I found a job that paid what I was making before I was let go. I don't care what your circumstance is, if you want to live like the subjects of the article were, you will find a way, just as if you want to be successful and live nicely, you will find a way.
And yes, because I gave four years of my life in service to my country, I was able to go to college and get an education in a field that prepared me for living a lifestyle I wanted to live. But, in order to get that education, I put my life on the line right after high school while my friends either got jobs and lived it up or went to college. I sacrificed because I wanted something more than a subsistance lifestyle.