I want to be concrete about what 'living below your means' actually requires at different income levels.

At $50,000 gross (~$40,000 net in a moderate-tax state):
Living below your means requires housing below $1,000/month, a paid-off car, minimal dining out, and no consumer debt. A 15% savings rate ($500/month) leaves about $2,833/month for everything else. This is tight but achievable, especially outside high-cost cities.

At $80,000 gross (~$62,000 net):
A 20% savings rate ($1,033/month) leaves $4,133/month for everything else. Housing can be $1,200-1,400, there's room for a reasonable car payment or insurance, and the budget has meaningful discretionary room.

At $120,000 gross (~$88,000 net):
A 30% savings rate ($2,200/month) leaves $5,133/month. At this level, if lifestyle hasn't expanded to match income, genuine wealth accumulation becomes realistic within a decade.

The common thread across all levels: the savings rate matters more than the income level for the pace of wealth building. Earning more helps most when it doesn't all become lifestyle.