49% Can Set Aside Money, 46% Must Use All Money for Expenses

Publication Date: 01/09/2026 5:00 AM CST

49% Can Set Aside Money, 46% Must Use All Money for Expenses

Publication: 01/09/2026 5:00 AM CST

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Overall, 49% of registered voters say they can set aside money for savings, the same as 2 weeks ago, and up 2 points from a month ago.
- Slightly less (46%) say all their money goes to living expenses, down 1 point from 2 weeks ago and down 2 points from a month ago.
- In April, just 43% said they could set aside money, but a high of 53% said the same in September.
If a surprise expense of $1,000 came up, 48% of voters say they would need to cut back on their lifestyle.
- This is up 1 point from 2 weeks ago but identical to a month ago.
- In late July, a high of 51% said they would have to cut back.
- Meanwhile, 47% said they could make the surprise payment without cutting back, down 2 points from 2 weeks ago but up 1 point from a month ago.
Both of these findings are in line with glimmers of hope that things are slowly improving for voters' personal finances.
Still, 49% of voters say they paid off their credit cards in full, up 3 points from 2 weeks ago and the same as a month ago.
- Down 3 points from 2 weeks ago, 42% say they had to make partial payments.
- A majority (63%) of retired voters paid their credit cards in full.
- Similarly, 63% of postgraduates also paid off their credit cards.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, January 5, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.