Summary
While Americans say they are careful with their money, they are also saying they have bought more at the store than they meant to.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Please review our list of best credit cards, or use our CardMatch™ tool to find cards matched to your needs.
Your credit cards journey is officially underway.
Keep an eye on your inbox—we’ll be sending over your first message soon.
In a Gallup poll conducted June 9-15, 2014, 83 percent said they bought generic or store brands in the last four weeks. Similarly, three-fifths of those polled said they went to more than one store to comparison shop, and almost as many did the same online.
Those polled said they are savers. Some 75 percent agreed with the statement, “I am careful about how I spend my money,” and 62 percent agreed with, “When I get some money, I always save some of it. Only 16 percent agreed with the statement, “When I get some money, I spend it right away.”
Yet, American consumers are not consistent in their saving and spending patterns. Some 58 percent said they purchased more at the store than they originally intended. Almost two-fifths said they had made an impulse buy. It isn’t clear if these patterns are typical because this was the first time Gallup had measured household savings in this way.
The poll, conducted by landline and cellular phone, included a random sampling of 1,029 adults living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. There was a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
See related:7 tips for saving time, money when shopping online, More infographics
To use the graphic on your site, use the following code:
<center><a href=”https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/gallup_poll-americans-careful-with-money-1701/”><img alt=”Poll: Americans say they are careful with money” border=”0″ src=”https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/images/credit-card-news/images/saving-spending-infographic.final.jpg” /></a> </center>
Editorial Disclaimer
The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective assessment of our writers and is not driven by advertising dollars. It has not been provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners.
Join the Discussion
We encourage an active and insightful conversation among our users. Please help us keep our community civil and respectful. For your safety, do not disclose confidential or personal information such as bank account numbers or social security numbers. Anything you post may be disclosed, published, transmitted or reused.
The editorial content on CreditCards.com is not sponsored by any bank or credit card issuer. The journalists in the editorial department are separate from the company’s business operations. The comments posted below are not provided, reviewed or approved by any company mentioned in our editorial content. Additionally, any companies mentioned in the content do not assume responsibility to ensure that all posts and/or questions are answered.