Seriously. I live in SF with a combined household income that's far less than that and have a pretty lavish lifestyle, eating out every day and whatnot. What are these people spending their money on?

> But she said she saw the strain on friends who were earning below $200,000, for whom rent, utilities and groceries consume nearly everything that comes in.

Let's assume $4000/m rent, $200/m utilities, eating out for $30 every day, and spending $700/m on groceries. That's only $70,000. Round up to $90,000 if you like. Where is the rest of the money going?

Saving towards a down payment at a rate that will never get you there?