Survey: Consumers to cautiously keep spending in 2026
Consumers are concerned about economic stability in 2026, but many are still planning to spend steadily.
Most consumers are not planning to dramatically reduce spending in 2026, according to a new survey from online shopping rewards app Smarty. Nearly half (45%) of respondents expect to spend about the same as they did in 2025, while only 16% anticipate spending less. Despite this, just 19% of consumers say they feel “very optimistic” about their financial outlook for 2026 (27% for Gen Z and millennials), while 51% describe their financial future as “uncertain” (42% for Gen Z and millennials).
Sixty percent of respondents are most concerned about rising everyday prices, such as groceries, gas and utilities, while 41% worry most about inflation not cooling fast enough. Other points of concern for consumers are healthcare and insurance costs (40%) and new or expanded tariffs raising prices (31%).
Among consumers who expect to spend more in 2026, increases are overwhelmingly driven by necessities rather than discretionary purchases. Food and dining (70%), housing-related costs (58%), healthcare and wellness (46%) and family-related expenses (39%) dominate projected spending growth.
“What we’re seeing is not panic or pullback,” said Vipin Porwal, CEO and co-founder of Smarty. “Consumers are bracing by budgeting more carefully, while watching prices more closely and making intentional choices to protect their financial stability in an environment where inflation feels permanent.”
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of consumers expect their cost of living to rise in 2026, and nearly two-thirds (64%) say price increases over the past year were “very or extremely noticeable.” Groceries are the most painful category for 72% of respondents, followed by utilities (50%), housing or rent (39%), healthcare and insurance (36%) and transportation costs (33%).
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More than half (54%) of consumers surveyed say they are “very or somewhat concerned” about their finances heading into 2026. The top worries include prices rising faster than income (59%), unexpected emergencies (48%) and job or income instability (33%).
“The 2026 consumer isn’t reckless or resigned, and they aren’t giving up,” Porwal said. “They’re pragmatic, adapting and becoming more disciplined. And they’re looking for every opportunity to make their money work harder. The defining behavior of 2026 is vigilance, not fear.”
The Propeller Insights survey commissioned by Smarty surveyed 1,036 U.S. citizens, 18 and over, across the U.S. in January 2026.
