New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report: Why One-Third of High Earners Live Paycheck to Paycheck

Bad Financial Management Habits Lead 30% of Affluent Consumers to Live Paycheck to Paycheck

The affluent are not exempt from living paycheck to paycheck, according to PYMNTS Intelligence’s latest exclusive study of 4,285 U.S. consumers, “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report: Why One-Third of High Earners Live Paycheck to Paycheck.” This report goes beyond inflation to explore how poor savings habits and discretionary spending are making even the very wealthy feel pinched.

Inside the February/March Study
  • 48%: Portion of consumers earning more than $100K who lived paycheck to paycheck as of January 2024
  • 28%: Share of high-income shoppers who have purchased lower quality products due to price increases
  • 20%: Portion of consumers earning $200K+ who cite unexpected expenses as the top reason they have not had a fixed savings routine in the last three months

PYMNTS New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report Series

New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report: Pessimism About Pay Rises Offsets the Effect of Falling Inflation