Mid-Year 2012 Saving and Purchasing Survey

Spending
 

 

1. With the savings you currently have, how long could you cover essential expenses if you were to lose your job/source of income?
0 months
1-3 months
3-6 months
6-12 months
More than 1 year

2. Do you feel as though you are living paycheck to paycheck?
Yes
No

3. Are you happy with your current level of income?
Very
Somewhat
Not very
Not at all

4. If you answered “Not very” or “Not at all,” are you taking steps to increase your current level of income?
I am taking action to increase my current level of income
I am not taking action to increase my current level of income, but I am working to reduce my expenses
I am not taking action to increase my current level of income

5. What are you doing to manage your expenses? Choose all that apply.
Reducing spending
Using coupons
Carpooling
Eliminating vacations
Unable to do anything
Other  

Money Trends
 

6. How would you describe your overall personal spending habits?
Saver
Spender
Moderate
Impulsively one way or the other depending on the situation

7. Have your spending habits changed significantly within the last year? If “no,” please skip to Question 9.
Yes
No

8. If “yes,” how would you characterize your amount of spending compared to 12-18 months ago?
More
Less

9. What factors have impacted your overall spending decisions within the last year? Choose all that apply.
Job status (i.e., new job, salary increase, laid off, retirement)
Debt status
Major purchase(s)
Major crisis(es)
Other  

Money Lessons Learned
 

10. Have you learned any important money lessons within the last year?
Yes, I've learned a lot
Yes, I've learned a few things
No, not really

11. If yes, in what financial area(s) did you learn lessons? Choose all that apply.
Savings
Student loan debt
Credit card debt
Retirement savings
Investment portfolio
Taxes and tax refunds
Small business investments and/or debt
Major purchases (i.e., home, car, boat)

12. Did your local credit union offer helpful information, resources and support to help you navigate the money matter?
Yes, they were somewhat helpful
Yes, they offered lots of help
Yes, but I wish they could offer more
No, they weren't helpful at all

13. Will you apply this “money lesson learned” in 2013?
Yes, absolutely!
Yes, I probably will
No, probably not
No, I don't think it will matter next year

14. Do you feel like you have become a more informed consumer within the last year?
Yes
No

Housing
 

15. Has your feeling around home ownership changed recently?
Owning a home is still important to me
Owning a home used to be important to me but is no longer a current goal
I have never desired to own my home

16. What factors have affected your overall attitude about home ownership?  Choose all that apply.
Earning more or less income
Incurring more debt
Paying down debt
Needing flexibility to relocate
Employment status
Statewide economy
National economy
Other  

Purchasing
 

17. Do you anticipate any of the following life events in the next year? Choose all that apply.
Going to college
Buying a car
Wedding
Buying a home
Having a baby
Retirement
None of the above

18. Which method of payment will you use to pay for these life events?
 Cash from savings Loan from financial institution Credit card Borrow from a relative or a some other non financial institution  
Going to college  
Buying a car  
Wedding  
Buying a home  
Having a baby  
Retirement  

Holiday spending
 

19. How do your holiday spending plans compare to last year?
I plan on spending more this holiday season than last year
I plan on spending about the same this holiday season as last year
I plan on spending less this holiday season than last year

20. What is your budget for holiday spending in 2012?
Less than $100
$100 - $500
$500 - $1,000
$1,000 +

21. Which statement best describes your plans to pay for your holiday purchases this year?
I plan on paying with savings from a bank account
I plan on paying all or mostly by credit card
I plan on paying all or mostly by cash

Election
 

22. Are you going to vote in the November elections?
Yes
No
Not sure

23. Do you want to know whether or not a candidate supports credit union issues?
Yes, it could influence my vote
No, it would not influence my vote

Demographic information

Please provide us with the information below to help us analyze our results:
 

Are you a member of a Georgia based credit union?
Yes
No

Age group:
Under 18
18 - 24
25 - 34
35 - 44
45 - 54
55 - 64
65+

Gender:
Male
Female

ZIP code:
 

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