More younger people are hoarding cash; Dems are using coupons

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked: We’ve written a lot about how funky this economy is and how consumers are reacting in a variety of ways. Inflation may be under control. We seem to have avoided a recession and achieved the rare soft landing. Does that mean we’re all ready to spend?

What we found: Eh, not so fast. We asked about a variety of different attitudes and behaviors: are you doing more or less of this. For most of the things we asked about, people said their habits were unchanged. Three in 10 said they were sticking to their shopping lists and avoiding impulse buys more often (vs. 6% who said they were doing this less often). One in four said they were preparing more for emergencies. One in five said they were keeping more cash on hand (one in four of 18- to 34-year-olds, only 15% of 55+ Americans; also higher among Republicans). 28% said they were using more coupons (higher among younger Americans and Democrats). Eating out continues to be an area folks say they are cutting back on.

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

Most people say brands should create accessible digital experiences

One in four say they plan to set up a will soon

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?