How do families of 4 or more live on $2 000 a month?

I am just curious how many people can afford that stuff. I am single mom on student loans and I am very good with money. I make my student loans and family allowance stretch like nobodies business. But I walk into these stores and I see people in Walmart buying brand new clothes, not from the thrift store, or people buying patio sets from Superstore. I can't wait till I am done university until I can do such things! I have never lived at that level financially, ever! But on the other hand, it confuses me, because with my living expenses and my family allowance, I have $2 600 for 2 kids and myself and I had to save for 3 months to get my daughter a bicycle for spring. Years ago I would have been rich on $2 600, and now it is not much at all. How do these families that live with 5 kids on less do it??? Do they food bank? Do they subsidize? Do they live in cheap areas? How do they do it?