There's a difference between those who can't save enough either due to having a poor start in life and not earning enough, or unforeseen financial/job problems and those who deliberately hobble themselves educationally and financially because "the end is near!". Here in the US many earn minimum wage, or near to it, and would love to have retirement savings but live a hand to mouth existence and can't. Many of them even have degrees. But one injury/hospitalization comes along and their "cheap" health insurance wants them to pay the $6,000 deductible before paying out, and that's it for any savings, let alone retirement.
I'm doing fine because I got out at 20 and despite no degree (thanks to the JWs), managed well in the workforce and placed a lot of importance on living frugally and saving for rainy days and my retirement. Plus I married a man (non-JW) with the same philosophy. We're both early retired. But we've been enjoying life too, with quite a bit of travel, so we're not just scraping by.
We both got that from our parents - although for me, that attitude came from my dad. My JW mother frittered away every cent my dad brought home while they were married and after she converted. When she divorced him in 1999, because he was a "spiritual danger", she got half of what he did manage to tuck away in retirement savings. She frittered that away too, since you know, it's all gonna end any day now!
My dad always told me to save for your retirement so that I wouldn't end up like him. He's doing okay though as he lives in Australia which has a decent social safety net and he's with a lovely lady who was a saver all her life. I'm glad and relieved for him. My non-JW brother has to help my mother out quite often as he earns the big bucks and has no kids. He resents it but feels an obligation. I don't.
