Igloo, I was saying “measly” compared to what folks in industry make before heading off for a PhD (esp. if one takes the math degree and goes to SV)…my older S lives on not much more than a PhD stipend and he’s banking the rest. He has never been one for spending a lot of money, and could not care less about more than basic comforts. He knows a couple of HS classmates who took the same path he did in college and work and then went back for a PhD. What they saved from their industry jobs usually went to a down payment on a condo or small house.
His best buddy from HS just finished his PhD and was able to live nicely in a lower-cost state on his stipend. He always had apartment mates, but more because he didn’t want to live alone than because of economics.