Survey: Comparing prices, switching brands among top cost-saving behaviors
The overwhelming majority of shoppers are making changes to manage their finances.
A new survey from digital marketing agency Adtaxi revealed that 93% of respondents report actively using at least one cost-saving behavior. Nearly half (49%) are comparing prices more often, followed by eating at home (42%), switching to lower-cost brands (40%) and buying fewer discretionary items (39%).
Another third (34%) of those surveyed are waiting for sales, while 28% are using coupons or cash-back offers and 28% are delaying major purchases. Over half of respondents expect their essential household spending to increase in the near future, while discretionary spending is far more likely to decline, according to the survey.
[READ MORE: Survey: Consumers cutting back, shopping around to find best grocery value]
Vacations and dining out top the list of purchases where consumers are cutting spending, with about a third (33%) of consumers pulling back on each.
“Everything starts with the consumer's financial mindset,” said Murry Woronoff, director of research at Adtaxi. “Before marketers can understand purchasing behavior, they need to understand how households perceive their own financial stability. Our survey found consumers aren't withdrawing from the marketplace – they're adopting practical habits that help preserve purchasing power.”
Additional highlights from the survey include the following:
- Nearly half (47%) of respondents selected high quality for the price as one of the most important characteristics of a good value, outperforming lower price alone.
- While 28% say their finances have a turn for the better recently, nearly two-in-five (38%) say things have gotten worse.
- Over one-third of consumers (36%) say they use search and artificial intelligence tools as their preferred tool for planned shopping and comparing prices, outperforming social media, retailer websites and streaming television advertising.
- A large portion (42%) of respondents prefer brands to remain neutral on political issues and focus on product/services in their messaging.
Adtaxi’s survey was conducted using SurveyMonkey, launching in May 2026 and surveying more than 1,100 U.S. adults nationwide. The full report can be found here.
