Money Matters: A Look at May 2025's Income and Spending

In May 2025, people's income took a hit. It dropped by $109. 6 billion, which is 0. 4 percent less than the previous month. This isn't great news, but it's not a total disaster either. The money people had left after taxes, called disposable income, also went down. It fell by $125. 0 billion, or 0. 6 percent. People also spent less. They cut back on buying stuff, spending $29. 3 billion less on goods. But they did spend a bit more on services, which is interesting. The drop in income wasn't just about one thing. It was a mix of things. The government gave out fewer social benefits, and farmers made less money. But people did get paid more, so that helped a bit. The money people saved in May was $1. 01 trillion. That's a lot, but it's also less than what they had before. The saving rate was 4. 5 percent, which is not the highest, but it's not the lowest either. Prices went up a bit too. The PCE price index, which measures what people pay for stuff, increased by 0. 1 percent from April. If you take out food and energy, it went up by 0. 2 percent. Compared to May 2024, prices are up by 2. 3 percent. Without food and energy, it's even higher at 2. 7 percent. This shows that prices are going up, but not super fast. So, what does all this mean? Well, it shows that people are making less and spending less. Prices are going up, but not too quickly. It's a mixed bag, but it's not all bad. People are still saving, and they're spending more on services. It's a good time to think about how to manage money wisely.