It depends on how one lives and considers what scraping by means?
I've been in the 100k-110k for the past decade. Electrical/Plumbing contractor.
Lived a modest lifestyle and survived easily and very comfortable off of 50,000 a year. The first two years I lived this way, I purchased all the house I need for 100k. In the perfect peaceful location with plenty of fishing and hunting near by back door. I bought and paid for while others are living in wasted space in crowded cookie cutter neighborhood with yuppies who have Yorkies for pets.... paying a 30 year mortgage. Meanwhile while some are out buying fancy European cars...where the up keep, maintenance, and repairs cost more than what an everyday automobile costs at payoff. I've simply drive a Nissan Frontier. It does all I need. I bought a 2002 Hyundai Sonata with cash. It's for travel. Gets 34 plus miles to the gallon. The wife drives a simple Ford Escape. The kids have a Ford Ranger and a Toyota Tacoma. All used. All paid for. None of us are scared to get our hands dirty and have easy cars to repair and change the oil in. Meanwhile keep paying for those $200 oil changes.
While living off 50K usually put the other half in some type of investment. Not just the simple stocks and such. Bought profit real estate. Rental properties. Farm land. It's making money and I don't even have to do the work. Any incentives I've made to my regular salary goes straight into 401K and other retirement savings. I'll be done working at age 55...if not sooner. To hell with working till I'm old because I've bought stupid crap. Worthless cars. Oversized houses that kicked people's ass during the housing market crash.
And yes I've done my taxes at Wal Mart a few times but I usually just simply use Turbo Tax. Meanwhile brag about paying$1000 dollars because you are too dumb to do them yourself. I'll put that $1000 for another track of land in the Ozark Mountains. My kids kids kids will have a piece of real estate somewhere around the country.
I'm not too interested in rubbing elbows with some hard blows at boring dinners like Buca attends. I usually just settle for a home cooked meal watching the sunset over the water vs over looking the rat race in Tampa.