I would agree that saving 50% of income above that needed to obtain decent food, clothing, and shelter is probably wise advice. I think it would be cruel and totally unreasonable to tell someone in the US making $15000 a year (full-time work at the Federal minimum wage) that he or she should be able to save $7500 a year.
I was thinking more in the context of the numbers in this post. $80K - $400K plus.
Not poverty line. I would expect people at that level to run chronic deficits and experience periodic bankruptcy, which is part of the modern American experience. This is based on what I see with my clients, who normally have negative net worth, no job, and often no healthcare.
