Plurality Of Americans Say All Their Money Is Going Toward Living Expenses Amid Affordability Crisis

A plurality of Americans said all of their money is currently being spent on living expenses, according to an Napolitan News Service poll released Thursday.

The newly released survey found that 44% of registered U.S. voters say all their money goes toward living expenses, down 1 point from April. Meanwhile, 51% of respondents said they can set aside money for savings, up 1 point from 2 weeks ago and a month ago, the poll shows.

Fifty-five percent of Main Street voters said all of their income goes to their current living expenses, according to the survey. Main Street refers to local small businesses and consumer activities, per Investopedia.

If an unexpected $1,000 expense came up, 44% of Americans said they would need to cut back on their lifestyle, down 2 points from 2 weeks ago and a month ago, the poll found. Moreover, 50% said they could make the unexpected payment without having to cut back, up 1 point from 2 weeks ago and up 2 points from a month ago.

Fifty-two percent of voters say they had completely paid off their credit cards over the past month, according to the poll. Meanwhile, 69% of postgraduates say they paid off their credit cards, while 67% of voters over age 65 similarly said they had fully paid off their credit cards, per the survey.

Still, 37% of voters say they had to make partial credit card payments, down 6 points from 2 weeks ago and down 1 from a month ago.

The poll’s release comes as many Americans and small businesses have been feeling the squeeze of rising prices.

U.S. inflation rose more than anticipated in April as the Iran war drove up food and energy prices across the nation, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on Tuesday. Wholesale prices similarly jumped much higher than expected last month.

Some Americans have had to rely more heavily on credit cards in recent months. Total credit card debt in the U.S. increased by $44 billion during the fourth quarter of 2025 and now total $1.28 trillion outstanding, up 5.5% since 2024, according Federal Reserve Bank of New York data.

The White House has touted that the Trump administration’s “pro-growth agenda has delivered strong economic momentum through tax relief, deregulation, and renewed private-sector investment.”

The Napolitan News Service poll surveyed 1,000 registered U.S. voters and was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen from May 11-12. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the fieldwork for the survey. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.1.