44% Still Say All Money Goes to Living Expenses

Publication Date: 05/01/2026 5:00 AM CST

44% Still Say All Money Goes to Living Expenses

Publication: 05/01/2026 5:00 AM CST

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Forty-four percent (44%) of registered voters say all their money goes to living expenses.
- This is down 1 point from 2 weeks ago and the same as a month ago.
- Half (50%) say they can set aside money for savings, the same as 2 weeks ago and down 1 point from a month ago.
- Three quarters (77%) of postgraduates say they can regularly set aside money.
- Conversely, 63% of those who make $50K or less say all their income goes to their current living expenses.
If a surprise expense of $1,000 came up, 46% of voters say they would need to cut back on their lifestyle.
- This is the same as 2 weeks ago and up 5 from a month ago.
- Meanwhile, 49% said they could make the surprise payment without cutting back, up 1 point from 2 weeks ago but down 5 points from a month ago.
Almost half (49%) of voters say they paid off their credit cards in full over the past month, down 5 points from 2 weeks ago and down 3 points from a month ago.
- A large majority (71%) of postgraduates say they paid off their credit cards.
- A solid majority (62%) of retired voters also say they paid off their credit cards in full.
- Forty-three percent (43%) of voters say they had to make partial payments, up 5 points from 2 weeks 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, April 27-28, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.