Here's a NY Times article profiling families. This is from 2019, so you can bump that rent up several hundred dollars. Here's a family in Layton with 2 young kids in preschool/daycare (Montessori). I see some obvious stuff here like cutting the car payments and driving beaters. Saving on food sounds easy except when you consider they're both working full time. But let's say they get out from under that. In 2022, the rent is probably more like $2,500, and if they're trying to save for a down payment, that adds to the burden. Groceries and daycare numbers also look worse.

"Melanie Espinosa and Brett Townsend, Melanie is a procurement specialist, and Brett is an internet sales manager at a car dealership. They are 30 and 33, live in Layton, Utah, are engaged and have two daughters, who are 3 and 2."

Monthly take-home pay: $5,600

Expenses:
Rent: $1,545
Montessori school tuition: $1,220
Car payments, insurance, gas: $1,000
Groceries and eating out: $843
Student loans: $340
Health insurance: $240
Utilities: $167
Miscellaneous: $320
Children's expenses (clothes, diapers, etc.): $187
Doctor copays, prescriptions, etc.: $73
Mobile: $65
Life insurance: $50
Netflix & Spotify: $28
Total: $5,838