Spending, Saving, Insurance, Retirement: Consumer Finance Trends for 2025

The cost-of-living conversation 

It’s no secret that consumers often turn to social media to express frustrations, share opinions, and seek advice from peers. The topic of personal finance and the rising cost of living is no exception.  

Consumers often discuss how the cost of living impacts their daily lives, including their salaries and purchasing power, housing situation, and the overall affordability of products and services. 

We tracked online mentions related to the cost of living using Brandwatch Consumer Research and analyzed search data using Google Trends.   

Our findings show that the cost-of-living discussions have remained above pre-pandemic levels across both online mentions and Google searches. 

Between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025, we tracked 24.3m mentions – a 3% increase from the year before. Additionally, 4% more new people joined the cost-of-living discussions online. 

What’s driving the cost-of-living conversation? 

To get a clearer picture, we analyzed mentions of rising prices across seven key categories: bills, electricity, food, gas, insurance, rent, and travel. 

1. Food costs remain the biggest pain point 

Of all seven categories, food gathered the most mentions and the largest year-over-year increase, reaching nearly 2.2 million mentions between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025 – up 15% from the year before year. 

In those conversations, consumers often brought up rising grocery prices and declining food quality, especially at restaurants.  

Conversations mentioning prices and food or groceries tracked close to 665k mentions between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025 – a 23% increase from the year before.  As food prices rise in stores and restaurants, consumers are becoming more selective about dining out. With higher costs, they’re more likely to reconsider their spending – and when they do choose to eat out, they expect better value for money. 

Others are cutting back entirely – mentions of cooking at home reached 90,300, reflecting a trend of meal preparation as a cost-saving measure. 

 2. Rising rent and gas costs deepen the sense of instability 

Rising rent and gas costs tap into a lot of daily stressors people are dealing with, which is why they come up so often in online discussions. Both are essential expenses, and when they rise, it feels like a direct hit to people’s ability to manage their lives. It’s not just about paying more – it's about the growing sense that financial stability is slipping out of reach.  

Rent was the second-most mentioned category, with 1.8 million mentions between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025. This category also generated the second-highest share of negative sentiment, with 48% of all sentiment-categorized mentions relating to rent being negative.  

These discussions highlighted growing consumer concerns about income disparity, with many people pointing out that full-time employment does not always guarantee financial stability and independence. As a result, some consumers felt compelled to share their living spaces with others to save on rent. 

Gas saw the highest share of negative mentions among the seven categories, with 56% of sentiment-categorized mentions being negative.  

As gas prices continue to rise, many people are looking for better ways to budget for fuel. Some turn to cashback loyalty cards and other gas savings apps, which offer a small percentage of money back on purchases to help offset costs.  

While the savings are always appreciated, consumers often face issues with redemption and customer service, highlighting the need for a smoother and more reliable user experience. 

3. Consumers are frustrated with limited insurance coverage and hidden fees 

Insurance stood out with the highest share of angry mentions across the seven categories analyzed.

Insurance often gets a bad rap online as people associate it with frustration, hidden fees, and complicated terms. While essential, insurance can be difficult to fully understand – and since many may never need to use it, the value of insurance isn’t always immediately clear. 

When claims get denied or premiums rise unexpectedly, consumers feel taken advantage of. And because insurance isn’t a tangible product with immediate benefits, online discussions tend to focus on the negatives. 

In angry conversations, consumers showed dissatisfaction with car insurance companies, citing high insurance costs, unexpected charges, billing errors, and deceptive upselling.  

Healthcare insurance was another major concern, with rising premiums making coverage less affordable. Delays in claims processing, imitated coverage, and a lack of transparency added to the frustration, leading some individuals to consider dropping their insurance and others to criticize brands for prioritizing profits over consumer well-being. 

Overall, cost-of-living conversations reflect the widespread concern about financial stability and growing sense of lost control as rising prices make it harder to afford basic necessities, even for those working full-time jobs.  Our research revealed a growing trend of individuals actively tracking prices to understand inflation better – indicating a heightened awareness of economic conditions. 

The personal finances conversation 

Online discussions about personal finance are often driven by real-life experiences and personal perspectives. In this section, we explore how people discuss their personal finances across various topics, including budgeting, saving, banking, loans, and investments. To ensure we captured firsthand experiences, we designed our research to focus on mentions that included personal pronouns like “I,” “my,” and “me.” 

Through this analysis, we identified four key themes trending in personal finance conversations between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025: making money, creative investments, property taxes, and refunds. Let’s take a closer look at each. 

Key themes in the personal finance conversations 

1. Seeking financial freedom  

With prices skyrocketing, consumers are looking for additional sources of income beyond traditional jobs. Many are taking on side gigs, exploring various passive income opportunities, and even turning to online sports-betting and gaming apps to make extra cash.  

These apps allow users to earn points or money by playing games, taking surveys, or completing various tasks. While many gaming conversations highlighted the excitement of challenges and rewards, consumers also voiced concerns about pay-to-win models, excessive ads, and a lack of transparency. Some appreciated the entertainment and easy earnings, while others criticized the focus on monetization over user experience and fair gameplay. 

Mentions related to sports betting and making money surged to 124,000, marking a 46% increase from the previous year.  

Beyond gaming and betting, many people explored passive income strategies that’d provide a level of stability without active effort. We saw discussions of real estate investments – such as multi-family rentals – generating ad revenue on YouTube and earning commissions through referral-based businesses like travel bookings.  

Mentions of passive income and side hustles in personal finance discussions surpassed 196k. 

2. Financial uncertainty drives the need for better investment education 

Life savings emerged as trending topic in personal finance conversations. Some consumers shared their experiences of financial losses, often due to scams, gambling, and risky investments like cryptocurrency. Many chased quick gains, only to put their financial stability and life savings at risk. 

Others expressed regret over not making the right investment choices and missing out on profitable opportunities. 

Our research revealed that some consumers invest based on belief rather than solid financial planning. This underscores the need for better financial literacy as part of the broader personal finance conversation. 

Conversations about life savings and investing were up 24% between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025, compared to the previous year. Mentions of life savings reached 128k mentions – up 7% from the previous year.  

3. High property taxes are weighing down on potential homeowners 

Consumers expressed concerns about their financial burden and its impact on stability, budgeting, and long-term financial planning.  Rising property tax costs, regional disparities, and additional expenses like mortgages and insurance continue to put pressure on homeowners, affecting their cost of living and overall economic well-being.   

Between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025, conversations about property taxes generated close to 198k mentions – a 17% increase from the previous period.  

Looking back at five years of property tax mentions in personal finances discussions, we found a steady uptick in negative sentiment. 

Our research showed that some renters pushed back against the idea that homeownership is always the smarter financial choice, pointing to hidden costs like property taxes, maintenance, and unexpected expenses that they simply can’t allocate funds for. 

This post, which compared the costs of renting vs. owning, resonated strongly with the audience on X, reaching over 20m people and gathering 66k likes.  

4. Refund frustrations are rising 

Discussions around refund and return policies have surged, revealing growing consumer dissatisfaction. Many people reported delays in obtaining refunds or missing refunds for canceled orders, lack of transparency, unauthorized charges, and restrictive refund policies that make returns difficult or impossible. 

Refund and return policies gathered close to 54k mentions – up 49% since the last period. “No returns” or “no refund” policies also saw a huge uptick in mentions between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025 – up 93% from the previous period.  

A recent industry study found that 91% of surveyed consumers say a lenient returns policy influences their buying decisions. However, with retail return losses projected to reach $890 billion in 2024, many businesses are tightening their return and refund policies to curb losses and protect profits. 

The topic of refund policies gathered 35.7k mentions – up 159% from the previous period.  

The spending conversation 

Spending money is a big topic online. People actively discuss how they spend their money and ask their online communities for advice.   

In this section, you’ll read about consumer spending habits across various categories, such as essentials like food and housing, and non-essential expenses like clothing and entertainment.  

We focused on analyzing personal perspectives to uncover generational trends, sentiments, and challenges consumers face when making financial decisions. And we also examined the payment methods mentioned in these conversations.  

Here’s what we found. 

Online conversations about spending see fewer mentions but more new voices 

Over the last five years, the number of new people joining spending discussions has surged.  

We analyzed close to 135 million online mentions about spending between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025. While overall, the conversation declined by 8% compared to the previous 12 months, the number of new participants in spending discussions grew by 12% during this period. 

So, while the total volume dropped, more people joined the conversation. This could be an important signal for brands looking to understand changes in consumer preferences. 

Consumers express mixed feelings about spending 

The topic of parting with money is rarely a pleasant one. Looking at the overall sentiment in conversations between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025, positive mentions accounted for only 32% of the entire sentiment-categorized conversation, while the remaining 68% was either neutral or negative. 

In positive discussions about spending, consumers stated that they enjoyed great deals and discounts. Shoppers appreciated the affordability of their purchases, value for money, as well as quick delivery, and excellent customer service.  

When shoppers find the right balance of affordability, quality, and convenience, these positive experiences often result in repeat purchases and recommendations to friends and family. 

In negative discussions, we spotted several themes contributing to consumer dissatisfaction. 

• Payment-related issues: Consumers’ complaints centered around unauthorized charges, billing errors, subscription issues, and payment errors, with many struggling to resolve disputes. 
• Mismatched expectations: When the cost of a purchase didn’t match the perceived value shoppers received. Many consumers showed frustration about paying for incorrect or damaged orders.  
• Unsatisfactory customer service: Unhelpful support and, especially, unresponsive service led to significant dissatisfaction. 
• App functionality issues: Slow performance, intrusive ads, and crashes – especially at the point of purchase – were a cause of frustration. Many consumers emphasized that, as paying customers, they expected the service to function effectively and without any issues. 

How are consumers spending their money? 

Looking into spending reveals real-time shifts in behavior, priorities, and economic pressures. It’s not just about what people buy; it’s about why they buy it, what trends are emerging, and how spending habits reflect larger cultural and financial changes. For businesses, it provides insight into demand, sentiment, and potential market opportunities. 

What purchases are sparking discussions online?  

We broke down online conversations about spending into the most frequently mentioned topics. 

Consumers talked the most about spending money on food, cars, clothing, housing, and electronics. Vacation, personal care, and entertainment were also popular topics.  

In terms of sentiment, people were particularly negative about spending money on housing, with 37% of sentiment-categorized mentions expressing dissatisfaction. This is obviously one of the biggest expenses people have, and for many, it feels increasingly out of control with rent and home prices rising faster than wages do. Food and entertainment followed closely, each with 34% of their respective sentiment-categorized mentions being negative. 

The food category we’ve discussed already, but entertainment? In that category, consumers also vented about rising costs. Streaming services took heat for increasing prices while still bombarding users with ads. Some consumers said they’d drop certain platforms were it not for bundle deals. Meanwhile, concertgoers weren’t holding back either, calling out high ticket prices, shady business practices, and disappointing customer service. 

How do different generations spend their money? 

It makes sense that different generations spend differently because of the economic conditions they grew up in, their life stage, cultural influences, and technology. When looking at generational data, we uncovered certain distinct spending patterns:  

• Baby boomers and Gen X talk more about spending money on housing, food, and cars than other generations.  
• Millennials and Gen Z tend to focus more on spending money on clothes. 
• Of all generations, Gen Z talk most about spending money on electronics. 
• Gen X and millennials showed more anger than other generations when spending money on vacations, with 47% and 45% of their respective emotion-categorized mentions expressing anger.  
• Millennials and Gen Z express more sadness on the topic of spending money on entertainment, with 39% of their respective emotion-categorized conversations expressing sadness. 
• Electronics generated the angriest conversations across all generations.  

How consumers pay   

We captured online conversations about 13 different payment methods, including buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services (like Klarna and Afterpay), digital wallets (such as Apple Pay), payment apps (like Venmo and Cash App), and traditional payment options (cash, credit and debit cards). 

Most talked about payment methods 

The overall conversation mentioning various payment methods saw a 16% increase in mention volume between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025, compared to the previous period.  

Among the 13 payment methods that we researched, the most popular payment methods are the Cash app, credit cards, and Venmo, representing 37%, 26%, and 16%, respectively, of the entire payment-related conversation.  

With the exception of PayPal, Clearpay/Afterpay, and Shop Pay, discussions about all other payment methods have increased since the last period, with some seeing larger spikes in mentions than others. For example, the mobile payment service Apple Pay saw a 180% increase in mentions between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025, following its recent partnership with a major cryptocurrency brand.  

Shifting sentiment around payment methods 

Looking at the sentiment in these conversations, Apple Pay’s partnership with a crypto brand turned out overwhelmingly positive.

On the other hand, Affirm and Sezzle saw a significant increase in negative mentions between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025 compared to the previous period. We’ll review some of the reasons why further down.  

We looked into the number of unique authors across the 13 categories.  

Several categories saw an uptick in the number of new people joining discussions, including Sezzle. Sezzle remains a popular BNPL option, but consumer sentiment is divided. While users appreciate the convenience and credit-building benefits, many expressed frustrations over unexpected fees, failed transactions, and poor customer support.   

Another popular BNPL brand Affirm saw a significant increase in interest among consumers. People praised Affirm for its flexible financing options, transparency, and seamless integrations. They also appreciated its interest-free and extended payment plans, particularly for larger purchases and essential expenses.  

Despite its benefits, consumers have reported challenges with Affirm related to payment processing issues and credit limits, which can hinder their overall experience. 

The saving conversation 

The money-saving conversation is growing online as rising costs push people to find budget-friendly solutions.  

In this section, we’ll explore these conversations, focusing on online mentions where individuals use personal pronouns like “I” or “we” to discuss saving money or their savings. We’ll also look into the common categories consumers are saving for.  

The saving conversation is growing 

From February 1, 2024 to February 1, 2025, mentions of saving money increased by 3%, and so did the number of people joining these discussions – up 8% compared to the previous 12 months.  

Like many financial topics covered in this report, conversations about saving money lean heavily negative, with 73% of sentiment-categorized mentions expressing negativity. 

A segment of consumers expresses frustrations with unexpected fees, unreliable banking apps, and security concerns that shake their financial confidence. For others, anxiety about managing their savings appears to be increasing.   

The engagement these two posts received on X highlights the frustration and anxiety surrounding financial well-being. 

What are consumers saving for? 

We analyzed the saving conversation across several categories.  

At the top of the list is retirement. Mentions of saving for retirement surged 656% between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025.  

Consumers discuss various saving strategies and the challenges of managing savings alongside rising living costs, limited disposable income, and unclear saving options. Many wonder just how much they can realistically set aside each month or year – enough to grow their retirement savings without straining their budget.  

Some people take a strict approach by cutting out non-essential spending for a set period, like skipping social outings or shopping, to focus on building their savings. 

Others adopt a more structured approach to maintaining financial stability and managing their spending effectively long-term.  

Retirement and savings and investments saw the highest percentage of negative mentions, accounting for 31% and 30% of their respective sentiment-categorized conversations.  

The conversation reflects growing concerns about long-term financial security and the need for clearer saving strategies. 

Healthcare expenses also ranked high on the list of categories consumers are saving money for. People spoke positively about providers that offer cost-saving policies. For example, GoodRx stood out for its ability to lower medication costs significantly, often providing better options than traditional insurance plans.   

Many customers feel stressed and overwhelmed by having to choose between saving money and managing medical expenses. There are deep concerns, such as the fear of homelessness due to medical bills and the risk of unexpected expenses draining their life savings. Overall, there's a strong sense of anxiety related to the financial burden of managing medical expenses. 

The insurance conversation 

The cost of insurance is a major financial concern for consumers.  

In this section, we analyze online mentions where individuals discuss insurance and being insured in a personal context. 

Our research shows that online conversations are expanding, with both mentions and new authors increasing. Between February 1, 2024 and February 1, 2025 , mentions rose by 2%, while the number of unique authors discussing insurance grew by 6% compared to the previous year.  

Consumers are turning to the internet for advice when they're having problems with their insurance or are looking for recommendations to find the best insurance provider. 

Where is the conversation taking place?  

Reddit is a popular platform where consumers seek advice and recommendations about insurance. In our research, it accounted for 35% of all insurance-related online mentions across sources.  

When looking at the Reddit data, r/MechanicAdvice, r/Insurance, and r/HealthInsurance subreddits were the most popular among consumers in discussions about insurance. These subreddits have thousands of members and offer brands a valuable pool of unsolicited consumer opinions. Brands that analyze these conversations can gain valuable insights into consumer preferences and pain points, and they have an opportunity to reach new audiences. 

Anger drives insurance conversations 

Insurance is a topic that largely sparks negative emotions for consumers. According to our analysis, the most expressed emotion in insurance conversations is anger, accounting for 54% of all emotion-categorized mentions.  

Common frustrations revolve around high costs, confusing policies, poor customer service, and difficulties with claims handling.  

This presents an opportunity for insurance brands to address customer pain points by better communicating the reasons behind rate increases and offering more personalized, transparent pricing models. 

Which insurance schemes are most discussed online?  

We analyzed online mentions of six different types of insurance: Health, car, life, travel pet, and disability.  

Health, car, and life insurance were the most talked about in terms of the number of unique authors. 

As seen on the chart, the number of new people discussing car, travel, and disability insurance grew the most year-on-year. 

The most common consumer pain points with insurance 

Disability insurance saw the highest surge in new people joining the conversation, followed by travel insurance, with coverage denials, complex claims, and financial insecurity being key themes in these discussions. Many find it challenging to navigate policies, deal with fraud concerns, and secure long-term protection.  

Similarly, travel insurance presents difficulties, including delayed claims, limited coverage, and complex policy terms. While some see it as essential for financial protection, others find the claims process frustrating and the benefits unclear, highlighting the need for greater transparency and more reliable customer support. 

Earlier in this report, we noted that insured car drivers often feel taken advantage of because insurance doesn't offer direct and immediate benefits. As premiums rise, more people have joined discussions about car insurance, expressing concerns about fairness.  

The retirement conversation 

Retirement is another key topic in finance discussions.  

This section will analyze online mentions of individuals discussing their personal retirement plans, savings, and pensions, providing generational insights as well. 

Retirement conversations are growing more negative 

The retirement conversation online has increased from February 1, 2024 to February 1, 2025 compared to the previous 12 months, with 13% more authors talking about it, resulting in 6% more total mentions.   

Discussions about retirement are particularly negative. An overwhelming 80% of sentiment-categorized mentions are negative. 

The gap between positive and negative mentions has widened over the years. In negative conversations, consumers worry about whether they’ll have enough savings to retire comfortably, how to make the right investment choices, and how things like inflation or government policies might affect their pensions. Many also struggle with clunky financial apps, accessing their retirement accounts, and the uncertainty of the financial markets. 

People feel positive about retirement when they have a solid plan in place, whether it's managing their pension with user-friendly apps, making smart stock investments, or hitting big savings milestones. Some shared their success stories of early planning and strategic investments to inspire confidence in the future. 

How do different generations talk about retirement?  

Looking at the generational data, baby boomers and Gen Z talk about the topic more negatively than the other generations. 

Retirement is a reality for older generations, but it's a different story for Gen Z.  While they discuss retirement less than topics like spending or saving, they express concerns about the future due to market fluctuations and the complexities of navigating savings strategies like pension schemes.  

According to a McKinsey study, nearly a quarter of Gen Z don't expect to be able to retire. Gen Z's early working years have been marked by rising costs of living and a tough job market, leaving them wondering how much they can save for the future.

Our research echoed this sentiment, with some Gen Zs saying they’d need a finance major to understand how to set up and manage their pension, while others expressed general skepticism about their retirement future. 

One of these X posts humorously reflects a Gen Z perspective on retirement, suggesting that they don't have confidence in reaching retirement age and may view the concept of saving for retirement as unattainable or overwhelming.