07/31/2026
So I asked Ai this question and I got some really interesting insight. What does the Lebanon area think about this? Below is the question and only a portion of the answer. Maybe I’ll post more depending on the response.
Q: How are Americans making ends meet financially in 2026? Please answer the question from a perspective of “I can’t figure out how to make it myself!”, as well as from a perspective of “I’m doing ok but I’m worried about other people”.
There are actually several ways Americans are “making it”
1. They’re making it with two incomes.
2. They’re making it by working more.
This is becoming an increasingly important pressure valve.
A CNBC/SurveyMonkey affordability survey in 2026 found that 30% of respondents said they were taking on extra work, a side hustle or second job, while 29% said they were looking for higher-paying work.
3. They’re making it with family.
This is particularly important.
In 2025, 49% of Americans under 30 lived with a parent, up 12 percentage points from 2019.
Families are quietly becoming financial institutions for one another.
Parents help adult children.
Adult children help aging parents.
Grandparents provide childcare.
Siblings share housing.
4. They’re making it by reducing their standard of living.
This one is easy to miss because it doesn’t show up as financial distress.
Someone who used to:
* take two vacations a year,
* eat out twice a week,
* replace their phone every three years,
* buy new furniture,
* save $1,000 a month,
may now:
* take one vacation,
* eat out once a month,
* keep the phone longer,
* buy used furniture,
* and save $300.
I’m really curious. Please comment. Anonymously, if you can.