I make $21,000 a year before taxes, though I get all my taxes back in April so I don't see a point in giving a "net". I live comfortably on this amount. I eat out every single day because I can't cook (learning to this summer), though I do have a 6 meal/wk plan at the dining hall to help with dinners. I have a car, but will not pay for repairs. It dies with me, and when it does I will not replace it with a new one. Rent is $375 a month including all utilities so I have big savings there.
Every year I travel to China to see my girlfriend, which can get expensive with tickets that are about $1600. Besides that, I don't buy a lot of expensive things. I do buy some, like a $250 pair of sunglasses that came in the mail just today, but that's a rarity. No new clothes, DVDs, electronics, or other things that can add up cost. I find that I still save money.