How do people see their personal finances heading into 2022?

Two thirds of people in the U.S say they don’t expect their personal financial situation to get any better next year, according to a new survey from Bankrate. 

A lot more people are feeling pessimistic about their financial situations right now compared to this time last year.

“We saw a marked change from how people felt coming into 2021,” said Greg McBride with Bankrate. 

He said even though the job market has improved and employers have been raising wages, a lot of people are worried that rising prices will keep them from getting ahead, financially. 

“Inflation is stretching household budgets, and it’s outpaced even the robust income growth that a lot of households have seen in recent months,” he said.

In Chanute, Kansas, Tami Burch has definitely noticed prices rising on gas, beef and chicken nuggets for her kids. But, even so, unlike many Americans, she said, “I’m feeling a little more confident.”

After being unemployed for a year and a half, she just got a job as a cook at a nursing home, making $13.50 an hour – $4 more an hour, than at her last job.

“I’m excited about the salary,” she said. “It’s helpful to have the extra money.”

And – as long as prices don’t keep rising too much, she said, she’s hopeful that it’ll be enough to keep up.