you can live on a single salary, but you gotta be frugal unless you have the big bucks. its about saving smart. can save by eating at home and being smart about groceries (look for promo items, use cash back cards, etc). since spouse is at home, they can prepare dinner, or just prepare simple food yourself for the family dinner if he/she is busy with baby all day.
i started saving 30-50% of my salary from my first paycheck till i was 26 (earn less than 3k), stayed with parents so all money on PS3 games
) then switched to saving 60-70% till 30 (earn less than 5k and took public transport and wife was workign) stopped buying new PS3 games and started buying 2nd hand games hahah. it wasnt that hard. you just gotta give up 'keeping up with the jones' syndrome. now im saving less than before (like 10%) because im living in my own place with wife (housewife) and son and need to pay loan, but can consider loan as savings too as that is my own house that i can sell later so doesnt really matter.
we live a simple life in a serviced condo (owner), i drive a myvi (which i love), eat out a few times a week. run an android box so no astro bill. but i think im still living a pretty good life. spend money on my son mainly. im not earning as much as i hoped at this age (<6k), but still doing well and manage to travel overseas with family at least 1x per year.
to all parents, well anyone out there really. you need to look at your spending habits. remember sikit sikit jadi bukit. whether saving or spending. if everyday you spend on unnecessary things (cigs, that goreng pisang, 100plus, layan telepon call etc) then of course you will feel it. when you buy it you dont feel its expensive, but over the course of the day it adds up. stop impulse buying. the main thing i try to tell people is give up smoking... if you smoke 3-5 packs per week and then you stop... you can save around RM3000/annum. and thats just from cigs. can cover flight tix for 2+1
anyways. just my poorfag 20sen.