Fox Business host questions concerns over affordability
Marcus Lemonis: “Is it affordability or are people just not feeling comfortable with what they're spending their money on?”
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From the November 24, 2025, edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom
BILL HEMMER (HOST): So, we hear so much about affordability. Here we go. Headline from the New York Post: One in three expect to slip into debt during this holiday season. I don't know if that's higher or lower than previous years. I don't know if we're paying more attention to it now. But here is what they say based on the poll. Compared to one year ago, the percentage of Americans who say groceries are higher, 85%, utilities 78, healthcare 67. Then you move to gas at 54%. ChatGPT told me that the average gallon a year ago at this time was $3.37.
MARCUS LEMONIS (GUEST): And now?
BILL HEMMER: This year, right around $3.07, if the chat is right about that.
MARCUS LEMONIS (GUEST): Affordability is an issue, but what's the bigger issue for me is how these exotic new financing tools have been made available for consumers. Buy now, pay next year. Buy now, don't pay for three years. Buy now, never pay. And when we have this drug that people have, which is this access to credit, people are gonna buy things that they don't need. And while we hear people talk about affordability, when you walk up and down New York City, you see a lot of people coming in and out of stores and a lot of people with bags. So, is it affordability, or are people just not feeling comfortable with what they're spending their money on?