advertisement

42% of Americans say they can't afford a vacation

Americans, crippled by debt and seeing signs of a slowing economy, are sitting out on pricey vacations and everyday leisure activities.

A new Bankrate survey found 42% of Americans decided not to take a vacation over the past year because of the cost.

Nearly a third said they can afford a vacation less now than they could have five years ago, though 26% said they can afford to do so more now.

More than two-thirds of U.S. adults opted out of a recreational activity due to the cost at some point in the past year, the study found.

You can't blame them.

Trade tensions have economists projecting the likelihood of a recession in the next 12 months at 35%.

U.S. student debt is over $1.5 trillion.

Almost 40% of Americans think the economy is "not so good" or "poor."

Half of respondents said the activities they passed on were too expensive to begin with or not a good value, while 43% said they didn't have enough money left over after paying everyday bills and 41% said they wanted to save money for other things.

Parents missed out most of all.

More than three-quarters of those with kids under the age of 18 reported missing out on activities, versus 66% of non-parents.

The survey encompassed over 2,500 American adults online in July with figures weighted to be representative of all U.S. adults.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.