My father was a hospital cook so not well paid.
As was said further up the thread, poverty is relative. We had the Welfare State so no fears about medical bills, and the Family Allowance probably came in handy.
It didn't feel poor, took it for granted that food might be made out of cheap ingredients and clothes were 'homemade' (and sometimes looked it).
There was enough money for what we needed, not what we wanted. The 3s 6d for music lessons might have been hard to find, but I had them.

For some reason we attended a church in Ealing (a posher London suburb than East Acton, where we lived) so we were among well off professional people.

My parents did all sorts to make a bit extra; soft toys (when things were in short supply in the shops), dress making, cake decorating - my father made the rich fruit cakes, mother decorated the in a way that would seem slapdash compared with the fancy tracery people do now.
When things eased a bit the cakes were still made and sold IAO the missionary society.

The frugal habits have never left me. Stood me in good stead. And as a child I think I got more pleasure out of my toy farm by deciding whether to buy a cow or a pig this week, from the display in the toyshop window than I would if I'd been given it complete.