There are so many ways to react to today’s higher prices. Try to spend less. Use credit cards or “buy now, pay later” services. Look for better-paying work.

One method that wasn’t on the table a few years ago is making headway, especially in San Diego: using cryptocurrencies.

And San Diegans, more than people in most other cities studied in a recent survey, are interested in or already using this approach. This is the case especially for younger people, who feel they’re behind where they should be, financially. Greater risk, greater reward, the hope goes.

This is according to a report by Northwestern Mutual, which polled thousands of people across the U.S. at the start of the year at a range of income levels and ages to learn what they’re worried about financially and how they’re responding.

The report, part of the 2026 Planning & Progress Study, shows what decisions San Diegans are making in light of high costs and concern than their incomes that are not keeping pace with inflation.

People here have more non-mortgage debt than the average among the 13 cities studied. They are worried about affording food and other key needs. But San Diegans, more than residents of any other city in the survey, said they plan to cut discretionary spending. And they’re exploring riskier ways to try to help their balances grow.

Crypto, cutting spending

Sixty-three percent of the San Diegans surveyed said that they are turning to “high-risk or speculative investments” because they feel they are behind financially, and they hope this approach will help them catch up — more than traditional methods.

However, this was lower than the national average, where 73% said they’re taking more risks to catch up.

The survey asked about cryptocurrencies, sports betting and prediction markets, options and meme stocks.

In San Diego, cryptocurrencies stood out: At 27%, the local interest in cryptocurrencies was higher than the national average — second only to San Francisco and Dallas — while the other three vehicles ranked lower than average.

To fund larger purchases, 36% of people in this region said they used “buy now, pay later” services in 2025, and far more, 42%, said they plan on doing this in 2026. Both were higher than the average across all 13 markets surveyed.

In addition, San Diegans also said they are belt-tightening.

San Diegans said they plan to cut spending on dining out, entertainment and other fun activities. Locally, 40% said they are doing this — compared to 33% nationwide. San Diego’s was the highest percentage, nationwide.

People were especially worried about “small purchases like a daily cup of coffee.”

Some of these attitudes may be shaped by a common belief expressed in the survey. It found that a greater percentage of people expect the U.S. economy to weaken in 2026 — 45% — than to improve — 36%.

Groceries and gas are hurting San Diegans

The report also gives a sense of how much more worried people are about high costs here, compared to the rest of the U.S.

Around 90% of people here had paid more for groceries. Across the U.S., the survey came in at around 80%.

Almost everyone — 98% — of San Diegans said higher grocery prices are impacting them. About 97% felt the same about gas prices.

Utilities came in second among San Diegans’ worries, with 77% of people noticing higher costs in that category. That’s higher than the national average of 66%.

For gas, the spread was far greater: 66% of people here said that gas costs had risen in the past three months, compared to 44% across the U.S. (The survey was conducted before the conflict in Iran caused gasoline prices to spike.)

Rising housing expenses were a lower concern, with 58% of people in San Diego saying that prices had risen. That was about 10% higher than elsewhere in the U.S.

The survey occurred in January and polled 4,375 people in 13 regions, of which almost 325 were in San Diego. Not every person answered every question. The regions included Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Portland, Tampa Bay and other large metro areas.