A recent survey found that 24% of households spend over 95% of their income on necessities, leaving little to no money for the “nice-to-have” things. Emily Elconin/Bloomberg/Getty Images New York —

Austin H. can’t wait to buy a house and start a family. But right now, the 34-year-old is barely getting by.

Austin is living paycheck to paycheck and saving almost no money, one of the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly unaffordable economy.

Worse, the family-owned construction business he works at is shutting down.

“I am going to be unemployed in the next month or two – with no safety net,” said Austin, who declined to share his last name.

An estimated 24% of US households are living paycheck to paycheck so far in 2025, according to a Bank of Amer

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