Nearly half of Americans say they feel they are falling behind economically inflation continues to take its toll on family budgetsaccording to a new Fox News poll.

The survey found that 44% of respondents believe their personal finances are in decline, a sentiment echoed by shoppers in Chicago’s Magnificent Milewho told FOX Business they plan to rein in spending and save more in 2026.

A new Fox News poll found that 44% of respondents feel they are falling behind in their personal finances. (Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images)

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FOX Business Correspondent Kelly Saberi spoke to passers-by in the Windy City who talked about saving more, spending less and investing more money in 2026.

One said he wanted to determine a fixed amount of money to save each week. Another said he wanted to focus your spending on the essentials.

Chicago shoppers told FOX Business they expect to develop different spending habits by 2026. (Lazy_Bear/iStock/Getty Images)

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“Not spending money on frivolous things, like not buying coffee every day,” he said. “I feel like I’ve bought a lot of coffee throughout 2025.” She pointed to simple changes, like making coffee at home and bringing lunch to work, as ways to save.

Although inflation has cooled in recent months, prices remain high for many commodities. The consumer price index shows that the index for all items rose 2.7% in November, compared with 3% in September. The data for December have not yet been finalized.

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Dairy prices fell 1.6% in November, but the cost of proteins such as meat, poultry, fish and eggs rose 4.7%.

“My main takeaway from talking to these people on a very cold day was that this is something they’ve been talking about and thinking about all year,” Saberi said Wednesday on “Matís amb Maria.”