A lot of times it is a bit like being a poor student again, even with funding. Money is very important, as it is a lot oeasier to get a PhD done if you can live in a decent neighborhood, and enjoy an expensive cup of coffee once in a while. But you certainly aren't paid tons. Some PhD guys in the US for Electrical Eng. quote US dollar salaries of up to 65K, but that is exceptional, and would not be the case for any liberal arts or social sciences.