At a time when 57% of Americans describe the economy as bad and nearly four in ten (39%) say they’ve had to give up or cut back on things they enjoy, the question of what still brings people happiness feels especially important.

As part of the latest wave of the SSRS Economic Attitudes Tracker, we asked an open‑ended question: “What is one simple, low-cost thing that has brought you joy recently?”

The answers offer a refreshing perspective.

Even amid financial pressure, people are finding fulfillment in the everyday: spending time outdoors, enjoying food and small treats, and connecting with friends and family.

One in five (19%) Americans say that nature or spending time outside has recently brought joy to their lives, whether that was going for a hike, gardening, going to the beach, or just sitting in their yard.

 

About one in five (18%) say that cooking, food, or a special treat, such as ice cream or their favorite beverage, recently brought them joy.

 

One in eight (12%) say that spending time with family or friends, anything from BBQs to staying at home with loved ones, recently brought them joy.

Some of the other low-cost activities that recently brought joy to people’s lives include:

  • Exercising or physical activities (8%)
  • Watching TV or movies (6%)
  • Reading (5%)
  • Playing video games or using technology (3%)
  • Spending time with pets (3%)
  • Listening to music or attending musical events (2%)
  • Just staying home (3%)
  • Playing or attending sports events (3%)
  • Hobbies like painting, knitting or puzzles (2%)

In a broader landscape defined by financial pressures, these responses offer a valuable reminder of the ways people continue to find connection, comfort, and happiness.

 

Methodology

The Economic Attitudes Tracker is conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey.

Economic Attitudes Tracker waves include:

  • March 21 – March 24, 2025, among a sample of 1,031 panelists. The survey was conducted via web (n=1,001) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English (n=1,005) and Spanish (n=26). The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The design effect is 1.54.
  • June 6 – June 10, 2025, among a sample of 1,029 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=999) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English (n=1,004) and Spanish (n=25). The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The design effect is 1.29.
  • August 1 – August 4, 2025, among a sample of 1,030 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=1,000) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English (n=1,004) and Spanish (n=26). The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The total sample design effect for this survey is 1.31.
  • October 16 – October 19, 2025, among a sample of 1,033 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=1,003) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English (n=1,007) and Spanish (n=26). The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The total sample design effect for this survey is 1.34. SSRS recontacted five respondents from the Omnibus survey to invite them to participate in a qualitative in-depth follow-up interview. Each interview lasted 30-minutes and was conducted over Zoom with an SSRS researcher between October 28 – 30, 2025.
  • February 5 – February 9, 2026, among a sample of 1,030 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=1,000) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English (n=1,004) and Spanish (n=26). The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The total sample design effect for this survey is 1.26.
  • June 18 – June 22, 2026 among a sample of 1,030 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=1,000) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English (n=1,004) and Spanish (n=26). The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The total sample design effect for this survey is 1.24.

All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.

The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is conducted on the SSRS Opinion Panel. SSRS Opinion Panel members are recruited randomly based primarily on nationally representative ABS (Address Based Sample) design (including Hawaii and Alaska). ABS respondents are randomly sampled by Marketing Systems Group (MSG) through the U.S. Postal Service’s Computerized Delivery Sequence File (CDS), a regularly updated listing of all known addresses in the U.S. For the SSRS Opinion Panel, known business addresses are excluded from the sample frame. Additional panelists are recruited via random digit dial (RDD) telephone sample of cell phone numbers connected to a prepaid cell phone. This sample is selected by MSG from the cell phone RDD frame using a flag that identifies prepaid numbers. Prepaid cell numbers are associated with cell phones that are “pay as you go” and do not require a contract.

The SSRS Opinion Panel is a multi-mode panel (web and phone). Most panelists take self-administered web surveys; however, the option to take surveys conducted by a live telephone interviewer is available to those who do not use the internet as well as those who use the internet but are reluctant to take surveys online.