44% Still Say All Money Goes Toward Living Expenses

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• Forty-four percent (44%) of registered voters say all their money goes to living expenses.
  • This is the same as 2 weeks ago and a month ago.
  • Half (52%) say they can set aside money for savings, up 1 point from 2 weeks ago and up 1 point from a month ago.
  • Large majorities of postgraduates (71%) and Elite Adjacent (73%) say they can regularly set aside money.
  • Conversely, 44% of Main Street voters say all their income goes to their current living expenses.
• If a surprise expense of $1,000 came up, 48% of voters say they would need to cut back on their lifestyle.
  • This is up4 points from 2 weeks ago and up 2 from a month ago.
  • Meanwhile, 46% said they could make the surprise payment without cutting back, down 4 points from 2 weeks ago and down 3 points from a month ago.
• Over half (53%) of voters say they paid off their credit cards in full over the past month, up 1 point from 2 weeks ago and up 4 points from a month ago.
  • A large majority (71%) of postgraduates say they paid off their credit cards.
  • A solid majority (66%) of voters over 65 also say they paid off their credit cards in full.
  • Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters say they had to make partial payments, up 2 points from 2 weeks ago and down 4 from a month ago.

See also: Opinions on the Economy and Personal Finances.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, May 26-27, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.