As inflationary pressures continue to raise prices, Americans are having an increasingly difficult time keeping up with life expenses.
The cost of daily living has continued to increase in recent months, and prices have grown at the highest rate in approximately four decades. Meanwhile, wages are also growing, but not at the same pace as prices. Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com recently told CNBC that, "wages are up 5.1% over the past year, which is trailing the pace of inflation."
"Indeed, surging prices are stealing the show on the minds of consumers," he noted.
And these inflationary pressures are now starting to take a toll on many Americans. According to a recent study conducted by LendingClub, 64% of Americans surveyed said they have been living paycheck-to-paycheck (meaning all the money that comes into a household per month is spent by the end of the month) from January 2022 and on. This amount had increased 52% from April 2021 and was also slightly higher than the month prior.
Two-thirds of middle-income earners--those who make about $50,000 to $100,000 annually--surveyed said they were living paycheck-to-paycheck back in January, up from 52% in May 2021.
Paycheck-to-paycheck consumers often falling into two categories: those who are struggling to pay their monthly bills, and those who are not, usually due to having a savings they can lean on. According to the survey, consumers in the latter group have seen the largest increase since October 2021, especially among high income earners; nearly half of respondents (48%) with annual incomes over $100,000 were living paycheck to paycheck in January, up from 42% in December 2021. Unfortunately, those who do not have a savings to tap into often are at more risk of falling into debt.
According to the survey, two of the major areas in which American citizens seemed to experience difficulties with payment are with grocery shopping and gas prices. The survey, made in conjunction with PYMENTS.com, polled about 2,633 American consumers.
Depending on one's location in the United States, making certain amounts of money may not constitute keeping up with the expenses of daily living in a way that is desirable. For instance, in San Francisco, California, low income is considered to be a family of four while making under $120,000.
Most Americans report that they need to be making over twice the current national average salary, about $122,000 per year, to feel financially stable, according to a report from the financial services website Personal Capital.