The differences are everywhere.

We live in a small apartment and I personally can't see how a single person having budget constraints is living in a house. College towns have plenty of apartments suitable for single people.

We use transit, walking and cycling instead of having a car. She could probably do the same since she lives in a college town.

Our internet & phone bills are much lower because we shopped around and went for a basic plan and cellphones. We don't have pets or other luxuries.

Ultimately, if you have trouble making ends meet you have to start from scratch: what are the bare minimums that you need to be healthy? Housing, transportation, etc.

I understand that some people have trouble accepting that their generation's standard of living is worse than their parents', but their inabiliy to adapt isn't helping them. Most people around the world live much more basic lives than what is common in Canada, and they are able to thrive. They could learn from them.