Financial Stress Now Reaches $100K Households, and What to Do About I

Earning $100,000 used to sound like a financial milestone.

Now, some households earning six figures say it doesn’t feel like high income at all.

Dollar General’s CEO says higher-income customers are telling the chain exactly that. At a Goldman Sachs conference in September 2026, the company also reported seeing middle- and upper-middle-income shoppers behaving more like lower-income consumers.

If you’re making more money than you used to but still wondering where it all goes, you’re far from the only one.

I’m Ralph Estep Jr., a licensed public accountant with 30 years in the business. On the October 2 episode of Becoming Financially Confident, Juliet and I talked about the financial squeeze families are feeling and, more importantly, what you can do about it.

Quick Take

• A September 18 New York Times survey found 16% of households reporting high financial stress, with another 17% considered financially vulnerable.

• Bank of America data shows sports bettors getting back less than 75 cents for every dollar wagered.

• Decide how you’re splitting a restaurant check before anyone orders.

• Before starting a side gig, calculate what a raise or promotion at your current job could be worth.

• If you’re paying for a storage unit, calculate the total amount you’ve spent before deciding whether what’s inside deserves another month of rent.

Why Are People Earning $100,000 Shopping Like Money Is Tight?

Financial pressure isn’t stopping at a particular income bracket.

When I last checked, around 67% of people said they were living paycheck to paycheck. The New York Times survey adds another piece to the picture, with 16% of households reporting high financial stress.

Then there are the everyday prices people see with their own eyes. Juliet pointed out that regular gas at Costco in California had reached about $6 a gallon.

Those increases add up.

So instead of trying to overhaul your entire budget this weekend, start with something manageable.

Write down the 10 things you buy most often. Check the price per ounce, pound, or unit at one less-expensive store. Then try the store brand on one or two items.

You don’t have to change everything at once.

I did something similar at home without setting out to save money. My wife pointed out that strawberries were out of season, so I switched to frozen strawberries. I’ve been eating them for about six months now, and a four-pound frozen bag at Walmart costs far less than repeatedly buying fresh.

Small substitutions matter when they become part of your routine.

How Do You Split a Restaurant Check Without Making It Awkward?

The best time to talk about the check is before anyone orders.

A Zelle survey from September 23, 2026 found that 52% of Gen Z respondents had ghosted a date to avoid splitting a bill. Twenty percent said they had gone into debt to keep up with their social life, while 19% had asked family for financial help.

That’s a lot of financial pressure tied to something that’s supposed to be fun.

Before ordering, ask a simple question: Are we splitting this evenly, or are we doing separate checks?

Then tell the server right away, ideally by seat. When the bill comes, tip based on your own share.

And if going out doesn’t fit your budget right now, say so before plans are made.

You can eat at home and meet everyone afterward for a drink. You can suggest a movie. You can find a less-expensive way to spend time together.

A night with friends shouldn’t create a financial hangover that lasts until payday.

Is Sports Betting an Investment?

No.

Bank of America data shows bettors getting back less than 75 cents for every dollar they put in during every month measured this year. Yet one in five Americans still describes sports betting as an investment.

That math matters.

A September 2026 U.S. News survey found that 51% of bettors had placed bets in an attempt to pay bills. Twenty-one percent had bet to cover rent or a mortgage, while 45% said they had borrowed money to bet.

That’s where entertainment can turn into a financial problem.

I’m not here to shame anyone. I don’t drink, smoke, or vape, but everybody has something they choose to spend entertainment money on.

If sports betting is yours, give it a job inside your Dollar Job Framework. Decide how much entertainment money you can afford to lose before you place the first bet.

Then check the number that matters.

Open your betting app and look at the last 90 days. Compare what went in with what you withdrew.

That’s your real number.

And if betting is being used to cover groceries, rent, a mortgage, utilities, or other bills, it’s time to treat it as something more serious than entertainment.

Should You Start a Side Gig or Focus on Your Day Job?

Before downloading another gig-work app, look at the job you already have.

Is there a realistic next step?

Could you qualify for a raise, promotion, certification, or higher-paying position?

If so, start there. A promotion can increase what you earn without requiring you to work another 10 or 20 hours somewhere else. Ask your manager directly what you would need to demonstrate to reach the next level.

Juliet raised an important point, too. The job market can be volatile, and a side gig can give you another source of income if your primary job disappears.

Just make sure you calculate what the side gig really pays.

I had a client who lost his job as a credit union branch manager and started driving for DoorDash while looking for his next position.

The money coming in looked helpful.

Then we calculated his time and vehicle wear.

He was making about $3 an hour.

That doesn’t mean the work had no value. It brought cash into the household while he searched for another job. But knowing the real hourly number helped him see the gig for what it was.

Whatever you choose, count the costs as well as the income.

How Do You Stop Paying for a Relative’s Meals Every Time?

When the same relative repeatedly expects you to pick up the bill, the problem eventually becomes bigger than dinner.

Resentment about money has a way of following you home.

Talk with your spouse or partner at a calm time, before the next restaurant visit. Keep the conversation focused on the two of you.

You might say:

“I want to keep spending time with your brother, but I don’t want to start resenting these visits.”

Then stop talking and listen.

Your partner may say, “I’m the big brother. I’m going to pay.”

If that’s the decision, then you have another financial question to answer together: How much should you budget for those meals?

What you don’t want to do is throw your partner under the bus by telling the relative, “My wife says I can’t pay anymore.”

I learned this lesson the hard way about 30 years ago.

We were planning a beach vacation with another couple. They told me they couldn’t afford the trip, so I offered to cover the room. In my mind, I assumed there would be some give and take elsewhere.

There wasn’t.

Looking back, I should have listened to exactly what they told me. They couldn’t afford the trip. My mistake was attaching an expectation to an offer I had made.

Money conversations get easier when everyone knows what’s expected before the bill arrives.

Is Your Storage Unit Worth What You’re Paying?

Storage units are easy to forget because the payment quietly comes out every month.

But quiet expenses can become expensive ones.

The U.S. has more self-storage facilities than Starbucks, Walmart, McDonald’s, Home Depot, Domino’s, Dunkin’, and Costco locations combined. The industry generates roughly $40 billion a year, and about 90% of the world’s self-storage capacity is in the United States.

If you have a storage unit, start with one number.

Find your monthly bill and multiply it by the number of months you’ve been paying.

Write the total down.

Then visit the unit and take inventory. For every item, ask yourself one question:

If I didn’t already own this, would I buy it today?

From there, put it into one of three categories: keep, sell, or donate.

Then set a move-out date.

There are legitimate reasons to use storage. A temporary unit between homes can make financial sense, especially if you’re protecting furniture or belongings worth considerably more than the rent.

But if you haven’t opened the unit in a year and can barely remember what’s inside, it deserves another look.

FAQ

Who Can I Call if Gambling Is Becoming a Problem?

Call 1-800-GAMBLER. It’s free and confidential.

If gambling has moved beyond entertainment and is affecting your bills, relationships, or ability to stop, please get help.

How Much Does a Storage Unit Usually Cost?

I put the average around $100 per month, although prices can climb much higher depending on location and unit size. Some households also rent more than one unit.

Instead of focusing only on this month’s payment, multiply your monthly cost by the total number of months you’ve rented the unit.

That number may change how you look at what’s inside.

Should I Put a Family Loan in Writing?

I think so.

A $4,000 loan to a brother-in-law with nothing in writing can become the thing everyone is thinking about at Thanksgiving dinner.

LawDepot can walk you through questions for your state to create a promissory note. There’s a free trial available at becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/lawdepot.

Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

What Should You Do This Week?

You don’t have to fix your entire financial life at once.

Pick one thing.

Compare prices on the groceries you buy every week. Have the restaurant-check conversation before dinner. Calculate what your side gig really pays. Look at your last 90 days of betting activity. Add up what that storage unit has cost you.

Financial confidence grows when you stop avoiding the numbers and start giving each dollar a job.

Send Us Your Money Question

Have a financial situation you want Juliet and me to talk through?

Send us your question at becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/voicemail, and it could appear in an upcoming mailbag.

You can also watch us live every weekday at 11:30 AM ET at becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/live.

And if you want to see what you really spent last month, visit becomingfinanciallyconfident.com/quicken to check out Quicken Simplifi.

Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.