ella barns williams, who has worked in a restaurant, is one life, one story, but hers is a refrain echoedy the millions of people across america, struggling to make ends meet. >> you know you want your kids to experience different things, but sometimes you will finance doesn't meet the requirement, and so that means you have to go out here, and grind harder, but instead of paycheck to paycheck, it isn't cutting it for single parents. >> a recent survey found that nearly half of all say they live from one fay day to the neck, and they are not all poor or living at or below the poverty line. in fact, a federal reserve report released this july, on the economic state of u.s. households showed that while gained have been made, economic challenges remain for a significant portion of the population. >> yet, the economy added 321,000 jobs last month. marking the 10th month in a row of growth greater than 200,000. unemployment stayed at a steady 5.8%, and although wage gains creeped up, the lower income workers especially those who rely on tips pay remains largely the same. for a look at an old p