Americans are prioritizing happiness over status, according to a new poll. The KeyBank 2024 Financial Mobility Survey asked 1,000 U.S. adults about the state of their financial lives and found that money isn’t buying happiness, even though they’re spending more and saving less.
The survey finds:
- Two-thirds (66%) of Americans would rather have a job they love with a lower salary than work a job they hate that pays more (34%).
- Three in 10 (30%) respondents say they feel financial stress related to the cost of living every day, and 59% are cutting back on nonessentials as a result.
- A quarter say they’re spending more and saving less, and 51% admit they’ve taken more money from their savings over the last year than before.
- More people would rather share their recent Google search history (57%) than their monthly credit card statement (43%).
- Work-life balance remains a priority, as more Americans say they value work-life balance (63%) over a high-paying salary (27%).
- Nearly three-quarters (72%) would rather define success based on a “soft-life culture” that focuses on happiness, contentment and fulfillment than a “hustle culture” that defines success based on wealth, status and achievement.
- More than half (54%) of those surveyed say hustle culture can lead to burnout and have a negative effect on wellbeing.
- When asked what “Thriving in America” means to them, 42% say it’s work-life balance.
Source: Yahoo Finance