Living paycheck to paycheck is sadly common. Sometimes it's because the expenses are unavoidable, sometimes it's because they're just biding their time until they get a better job, sometimes it's just bad financial planning (which often looks like the others).

Although living literally day to day with income is a new one to me. Most people can't do that even if they wanted to, what with only getting paid every two weeks.

In any case, this is obviously a situation you don't want to get into, but if you're in it, then the answer to your question should seem obvious: even if the fall is inevitable, you'd want to delay it as long as possible. Each day of survival is worth something, and maybe something will come along to help you dig out.

That said, I can't feel sorry for people whose money is delayed a few days rather than getting it immediately, when almost everybody else gets paid weeks after they work.