Solidarity with those on this thread. I'm a bit older, late 50s, single mum to two young adults, in 'professional' public sector job.
What has made a massive difference for me, over the years, is You Need a Budget app. Started when got divorced, on short term contracts and was really scared, and it got me realistic about what was coming up costwise, and building a small safety net, which made big difference to how secure I felt. There have been times of more plenty too but more recently it has helped me realise that actually I wasn't managing with two children at university, so moving to compressed hours, and taking on another contract on my 'day off', which over two years has made a massive difference. But officially I'm earning reasonably, and that I need to be working 6 days a week at this stage of life is crazy.
I do think, structurally, lots has changed in UK economy. Brexit is meaning a massive loss to tax take, and significant inflation when wages aren't keeping pace, or at least not in public sector. Costs which used to be born by state are being shouldered by individuals. Cost of my young adults at university in large southern cities aren't met by their maintenance loan. DS in Bristol, and his mates, have searched for 6 months for a shared house for next year, bidding against other students, and the one they have finally 'won', nothing special, is £750 pp/pmthx12 months. That is nearly as much as my mortgage for one small student room excl bills. And while he has holiday jobs and is frugal, there will be ever more of a gap between how much his grant has gone up (2%), costs of the room, what he can cover, and the additional bits I need to contribute from my income alone (as assessed on the income of the parent with custody alone, generally a woman), and trying to bridge the gap. Where when I was a student I could manage alone from my holiday earnings and grant.
What I'm trying to say is this is structural for many of us, and largely hidden.