Living on Credit: How Everyday Expenses Are Driving American Debt

Accredited Debt Relief 2026 Everyday Debt Survey

By Anna Caldwell  ·  Conducted by Atomik Research, part of the 4media group  ·  n = 2,000  ·  ±2% margin of error  ·  Published July 2026

Accredited Debt Relief commissioned independent market research firm Atomik Research to survey 2,000 U.S. adults carrying at least $10,000 in unsecured debt. The findings show how, for many households, credit cards have shifted from a backup for emergencies to a tool for covering everyday essentials — groceries, gas, utilities and rent. Two-thirds have put groceries on credit in the past year, only 28% can comfortably cover their expenses and still save, and just 14% expect to be debt-free within a year at their current pace. Below are the headline numbers, followed by the full breakdown by topic. The statistics are free to cite with attribution — see the note at the end.

↓ Download the Full Data Table (CSV)

Everyday Debt, in Charts

A visual tour of the headline findings. Every chart is sourced, branded and free to download and republish with credit — as an image or as a data table.

Groceries, Gas and the Rise of Everyday Debt

For many Americans, credit cards were once reserved for emergencies, big purchases or the security of shopping online. Today they have become a way to cover the basics. Across the survey, the essentials people are most likely to put on credit are exactly the ones that recur every week.

The Everyday Essentials People Put on Credit

Groceries lead, but the pattern runs across the whole household budget.

• Groceries — 66%
• Gas or transportation — 47%
• Utilities — 45%
• Rent or housing costs — 33%

This is not occasional use. More than four in ten (42%) say they regularly use a credit card or borrowed money to cover essential expenses, and another 29% do so occasionally — meaning roughly 7 in 10 lean on credit for the basics at least some of the time.

How Everyday Spending Turns Into Lasting Debt

Debt rarely arrives in a single moment. For most people it builds quietly, through a mix of ordinary costs and the occasional emergency — and once credit becomes part of the monthly routine, the balance is easy to grow and hard to shrink.

Emergencies still play a role. Roughly one in five (19%) say an unexpected cost like a medical bill or car repair leads them to take on more debt every time it happens, and another 25% say it does so most of the time. When each unplanned expense adds to the balance and there is no cushion to absorb it, the debt compounds.

Getting By, Not Getting Ahead

Breaking the cycle is hardest without a financial cushion, and few people have one. Most describe a situation where the money coming in barely covers the money going out.

That fragility shapes how people feel about the future. More than a third doubt their situation can hold, and many worry about what comes next.

• 25% feel concerned about their financial future, and 12% feel at risk of long-term financial instability.
• 29% rank the cost of everyday living expenses as the single biggest barrier to reducing their debt right now — more than any other factor.
• 19% believe their situation is long-term and expect it to continue, while 41% see it as temporary but expect it to take time.

Making Payments, but Not Always Progress

People are trying. Many are making real headway — but for a large share, monthly payments are keeping the balance in place rather than bringing it down.

The way people cover their monthly bills tells the same story. Only about a fifth are clearing their balance in full, while just as many can manage only the minimum.

• 22% pay the full balance each month, 22% pay only the minimum, and 8% pay less than the minimum or miss a payment.
• 24% say their balance is decreasing meaningfully, while 21% say it stays about the same and 10% say it is still rising.
• 13% feel their current level of debt is overwhelming, and 22% find it difficult to manage.

The Daily and Emotional Toll of Debt

Debt does not stay on the balance sheet. It follows people through the day, shaping their stress, their plans and the choices they make — and roughly 7 in 10 say it has weighed on their mental well-being.

Life Plans People Are Putting on Hold

The cost also shows up in the milestones people delay. Rest, security and retirement are the first things to go.

• Taking a vacation — 41%
• Building savings — 40%
• Saving for retirement — 35%

To manage in the meantime, the most common step people have taken in the past year is cutting back on non-essential spending (41%), followed by creating a budget (29%) and talking it through with family or friends (23%).

The Gender Gap in Debt Optimism

Men and women in the survey carry debt in similar numbers, but they feel very differently about it. On nearly every measure of optimism and progress, men report a rosier picture than women.

Whether the gap reflects a real difference in circumstances or in outlook, the takeaway is the same: women in the survey are carrying more of the worry, and are less likely to feel they are getting ahead.

Most People Face Their Debt Alone — but They Don't Have To

For all the strain it creates, most people are facing their debt without professional help. Only 18% have worked with a professional. Far more have never weighed it as an option or would rather handle everything themselves — and that, more than any lack of options, is the real barrier to getting unstuck.

That instinct is understandable. Money is personal, and reaching out can feel like admitting something has gone wrong. But debt rarely gets easier to carry alone, and the longer it goes unaddressed, the more it tends to grow. Needing a hand to get out from under it is not a failing — it is one of the most practical steps a person can take.

Asking for Help Is a Strength, Not a Setback

If you have been carrying this on your own, you are far from alone — and there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Debt builds quietly, through everyday expenses and unexpected costs that would strain anyone. Often the hardest part is simply starting the conversation.

That is exactly what a professional is there for. Talking to someone does not commit you to anything — it is a chance to understand your options and see what is realistically possible for your situation. With Accredited Debt Relief, that first conversation carries no pressure and no obligation. It is a safe place to talk through what you are facing with a real person who listens without judgment, answers your questions and helps you map out a path forward — a human specialist, not an algorithm or a chatbot, whose job is to help you feel less alone with your debt and more in control of it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Everyday Debt