Affordability concerns shape nearly every financial decision our members make. It crosses geography, demographics, and political affiliation, showing up not only in major monthly expenses like rent or a car payment, but in the small choices families make every day: what to put in the grocery cart, whether to bring a gift to a birthday party, how to afford school supplies without taking on more debt, or how long to put off needed medical care.
Through surveys and conversations, we set out to understand how rising costs are affecting SaverLife members, where they are feeling the greatest pressure, and what they believe would make a meaningful difference.
What we heard was clear: affordability challenges are creating significant financial strain across our membership. But members are not simply describing the problem. They are identifying what hurts most, what would actually help, and where existing systems are falling short.
These initial findings offer a window into the choices families are being forced to make—and the solutions they want policymakers and other decision-makers to understand.
Affordability concerns are widespread
The cost of living is a concern for the vast majority of members we heard from. 85% of respondents said they are somewhat or very concerned about the cost of living. That concern cuts across political affiliation, reinforcing that affordability is not an issue experienced by one particular group—it is a shared and persistent pressure on household finances.
Rising costs are pushing households to the financial edge
Concern about affordability isn’t abstract. For many members, it means questioning whether their income will stretch far enough to cover the basics each month. One in three respondents said they are very concerned about being able to cover their monthly expenses. With little room left in household budgets, an unexpected expense or increase in costs can force difficult tradeoffs, greater reliance on credit, or going without.
The affordability squeeze starts with income, housing, and food
Members pointed to three fundamental parts of their household finances as major affordability challenges: wages and income, housing, and food. Together, they tell a story of household budgets being squeezed from both sides: income isn’t keeping pace with what families need, while the cost of essential expenses continues to consume more of what they have.
“We don’t make little enough to qualify for certain things, but we don’t make enough to comfortably afford everything either. I wish people would take that middle person into consideration.” – Waverly
“It’s not necessarily that people aren’t working. It’s that your paycheck doesn’t stretch the way it used to.” -Sara
Housing
“I waited seven years to get my voucher. A lot of people can’t wait seven years—they need help now.” – Mecca
“I rent at the moment, and I’m looking to own. But every time I get my ducks in a row, something comes up on the economy side.” -Raven
Food
“When I’m shopping at Target, I use the app to see what I paid for something a few months ago or last year. I bought cucumbers and tomatoes the other day and thought, ‘Why is one cucumber a dollar?’ You really start noticing how those little things have gone up.” -Mahiyat
“I’m cooking a lot of the same meals because I know exactly what they’re going to cost each week.” -Janelle
As costs rise, some families are also losing critical supports
For households already operating with little financial margin, public benefits can help close the gap between income and the cost of basic needs. Yet some members told us those supports have become less reliable. In the last year, about half of respondents reported receiving government benefits; among them, 38% said their benefits had been reduced, stopped, or denied for reasons other than a change in employment or household income.
Affordability will follow members to the ballot box
The members we heard from aren’t only consumers navigating higher costs—they are voters. 75% say they are likely to participate in the 2026 midterm elections. Affordability and cost-of-living concerns will be major drivers of their choices.
For candidates and policymakers, these findings point to both an urgency and an opportunity: voters are looking for solutions that meaningfully improve their ability to afford the basics, build financial stability, and create a more secure future for their families.
What members say would make a difference
Members aren’t simply identifying what’s unaffordable. They have firsthand insight into what would make their financial lives more manageable. Across our conversations, they pointed toward solutions that would increase pay, lift benefit thresholds, lower healthcare premiums, and reimagine tax time. Their experiences offer an important starting point for designing solutions: listen to the people navigating the affordability crisis every day and build responses around what they say would actually help.
We will continue sharing our members’ experiences and elevating the ideas and solutions that emerge as we deepen these conversations. SaverLife will serve as a megaphone for our members, ensuring that the people navigating today’s affordability challenges have the opportunity to be a central voice in the conversations shaping what comes next.
Related insights
- Financial health and stability
The State of Affordability: Why transportation costs matter
- Financial health and stability
What happens when wages can’t keep up?
