Households are being more proactive with their spending and saving habits.
The 2026 Money Trends Survey reveals that people are showing increasing levels of financial mindfulness, rather than simply reacting to economic headwinds.
The prioritization of essentials
More people say they’re spending less overall than they were a year ago. Many are prioritizing financial stability and delaying non-essential purchases.
The top four categories that consumers report spending more on:
67%
Groceries
55%
Utilities
44%
Transportation
44%
Housing
The top four categories that consumers report spending less on:
38%
Restaurants
35%
Travel and vacations
33%
Online shopping
32%
Entertainment
Budgeting for a vacation is optional. Budgeting for groceries and gas isn’t. WSFS’ trusted advisors are available to help Clients manage the kind of spending that doesn’t have an easy off switch.
Getting more deliberate about taking on debt
Households are responding to elevated interest rates with real behavioral change.
Buy Now, Pay Later use has also declined, from 35% in 2024 to 21% in 2026, as more people prioritize staying debt-free over short-term convenience.
30%
actively avoiding new loans
25%
working to reduce existing credit balances
17%
delaying a large purchase
Combining speed and convenience for modern payments
Payment apps and digital wallets have moved from alternative to default.
73%
of Americans use Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, or similar platforms regularly
64%
rely on digital wallets
physical payments continue to decline
Combining speed and convenience for modern payment
Payment apps and digital wallets have moved from alternative to default.
73%
of Americans use Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, or similar platforms regularly
64%
rely on digital wallets
physical payments continue to decline
Make your money work harder for you
Savings and checking accounts are almost universally recognizable, but a significant share of people remain unfamiliar with high yield and investing accounts.
One in four (24%)
are unfamiliar with high-yield money market accounts
Additional unfamiliarity includes:
Additional unfamiliarity includes:
Your finances are changing. We can help you keep up.
The 2026 Money Trends Survey shows that most people are making real adjustments — cutting back where they can, getting cautious about debt, and looking for ways to make savings go further.
Download Full Report: access the complete survey data, analysis, and methodology.