I work paycheck to paycheck but if I told people how much I made and called myself poor I'd probably anger people. I just make sure that I do what's in my power to keep myself comfortable now, even if that means overspending on luxuries
I stress quite quickly so I spend money to avoid stress. Stuff like cooking, cleaning, variable bills I am happy to pay a premium on so they don't affect my everyday
Personally speaking, having zero savings or very little savings in case of a big cost or unemployment would leave me significantly more stressed. That would affect my life greatly, versus not being able to have takeout whenever I feel like it.
I'm not condoning how I live but I've been on both ends of the spectrum and the fact I transitioned from one to the other should give some indication of how well it went.