As the economic landscape takes on more uncertainty, vulnerable income groups constantly evaluate their spending.
One of the most vulnerable — and largest — consumer segments is the paycheck-to-paycheck cohort. As of January, 67% of all consumers in the United States lived paycheck to paycheck, up from 65% in December.
Financial strain is still prevalent among low-income consumers. According to PYMNTS Intelligence, 74% of consumers earning less than $50,000 annually live paycheck to paycheck, an improvement from the 76% of these consumers who said the same last year. Generation Z saw the sharpest increase, rising from 57% in January 2023 to 69% in January 2025. Millennials remain most likely to live paycheck to paycheck, at 72%, dropping from 73% in January 2024.
What have they spent on? What have they cut back on? Some shifts in spending point to the financial trade-off between time and money. Convenience services — such as grocery and restaurant delivery, home maintenance and personal care — save time but come at a cost. Some consumers see these services as luxuries they can cut when budgets tighten. Others rely on them due to mobility issues, health constraints or demanding schedules.
Cost is the biggest barrier to convenience service use. PYMNTS Intelligence finds that affordability is a greater concern than other elements, such as service quality.
These are just some of the findings in “How Do Consumers Weigh Convenience Services Against Financial Pressure? It’s About Buying Time,” a PYMNTS Intelligence exclusive. Our insights come from a survey of 2,878 U.S. consumers conducted Jan. 8 to Jan. 20. The report explores how convenience services fit into different financial lifestyles — and how price, accessibility and necessity shape usage.
Who Uses Convenience Services?
Accessibility and cost are the biggest drivers of use.
Convenience service use depends on accessibility and the ability to pay for time savings. Urban consumers are the most frequent users of these services, at 79%, benefiting from greater service availability. In contrast, 51% of rural consumers used a convenience service last year.
Spending patterns reflect these trends. Urban consumers spend an average of $234 per month on convenience services. Rural consumers spend $186. Spending by consumers not living paycheck to paycheck drops to $237 per month. Paycheck-to-paycheck consumers with issues paying bills spend $171 monthly on these services.
Income also plays a role. At 75%, high-income consumers are more likely to use convenience services than low-income consumers, at 59%. This suggests that spending on convenience services could explain why some with higher incomes still live paycheck to paycheck. These consumers may spend at or slightly more than their limit or simply value their time more than excess money.
Easy access to eats dominates convenience service use.
Grocery and restaurant delivery are the most popular convenience services, each with 55% adoption overall. Consumers living paycheck to paycheck without issues paying their bills are the most likely to have used grocery delivery or pickup at least once in the last year, at 59%. Half of consumers not living paycheck to paycheck likely used grocery delivery in the last year.
Restaurant delivery follows a comparable trend. Fifty-five percent of all consumers used restaurant delivery in the past year. Consumers living paycheck to paycheck with issues paying their bills are the most likely to have used restaurant delivery in the last year, at 56%. Other services reveal a sharper financial divide, with adoption rates varying by financial lifestyle. Consumers not living paycheck to paycheck are the most likely to have used home maintenance services, at 34%, lawn care services, at 32%, and house cleaning services, at 28%.
In contrast, paycheck-to-paycheck consumers with issues paying their bills represent lower adoption — 25% for home maintenance, 18% for lawn care and 14% for house cleaning. This suggests that some convenience services remain discretionary, primarily used by those with greater financial flexibility.
The balance of time versus money has a clear financial bend to it.
Why Some Consumers Cut Back on Convenience Services
Consumers primarily use these services to buy time and reduce stress — if they can’t, they won’t.
Financial flexibility — not just necessity — shapes spending adjustments. Two in three consumers who cut back on convenience services pointed to cost concerns. Among paycheck-to-paycheck consumers with issues paying bills, 80% cite financial pressure as their reason for cutting back. Among those not living paycheck to paycheck, 40% cite the same reason. Saving time is a strong motivation for using convenience services, however struggling consumers can’t always afford to put it into practice.
Still, some reductions stem from lifestyle shifts rather than financial strain. Among consumers not living paycheck to paycheck, 15% reduce usage because they have more available time. This suggests that some consumers see these services as essential when they are short on time.
How to Increase Convenience Service Adoption
Lower prices are the top factor consumers say would increase their use of convenience services.
Lower prices are the strongest driver of convenience service adoption. Data shows 51% of consumers cite lower prices as an important factor, with 36% ranking it as their most important reason for using the services. Cost concerns outweigh service-related improvements — more than twice as many consumers prioritize affordability over the next-highest factor, better service quality. Even better payment options rank behind lower prices in encouraging adoption.
For convenience service providers, pricing strategies will impact adoption more than service enhancements. Subscription models, financing options and targeted discounts could help make spending money to save time more accessible. While service quality and convenience matter, affordability remains the deciding factor in whether consumers continue using these services or cut back when financial pressures rise.
Lower prices could expand convenience services faster than better quality.
Saving time is not enough to justify the cost for many consumers. Data finds that 5% of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers who struggle to pay bills and 8.4% of those who do not say getting busier with work or family is their biggest motivator. Lowering costs is more likely to drive adoption than improving service quality.
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Methodology
“How Do Consumers Weigh Convenience Services Against Financial Pressure? It’s About Buying Time,” a PYMNTS Intelligence exclusive report, examines how U.S. consumers navigate convenience services amid financial constraints. The findings are based on a survey of 2,878 U.S. consumers conducted from Jan. 8 to Jan. 20. The report explores how paycheck-to-paycheck consumers prioritize time-saving services, what drives their usage, and why cost remains the biggest barrier to broader adoption. The sample was balanced to reflect the U.S. adult population across key demographics: 51% of respondents identified as female; 33% held a college degree; and 30% reported annual incomes between $50,000 and $100,000.
