That seems to be the general rule. There was a news article a few days ago, a McD's female worker in Oakland who welcomed the increase in minimum wages. We were all led to believe these workers were suffering from poverty and starving, couldn't make their rent, etc. The girl commented that she was happy at last and would buy an iPhone with the extra income from the minimum wage increase.
I know people barely getting by, in debt and complaining. But I glean information from conversations, and always find that they are spending money on luxuries they really don't need. One guy is skinny and complains he can't afford food; yet he spends a fortune on comic books every month ($4 and up each) as well as on movie DVDs. As you say, little sympathy for most of these cases. Live within your means and you can generally afford to save something.
Growing up, at my first job in a grocery store, I’d routinely see customers using food stamps get into a one or two year old Cadillac, fully loaded.
An amazing number of my middle-school students have iPhones and iPads and electronics of all sorts that they play with in school. The whole school is considered Title One (meaning low-income, reduced lunch, etc) but the kids seem pretty well provided for in terms of games and tech toys.