Nov 15, 2026
For many Canadians, 2026 has been a year of small, steady hits at the grocery store and the gas pump. When added together, however, they’ve pushed a growing share of households backward financially.
Roughly 2 in 5 Canadians now say they’re in a worse financial spot than a year ago, while nearly half have dipped into savings just to cover everyday bills, according to a new national survey.
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The squeeze is tightest for Canadians with a living parent and a child of their own, often called the sandwich generation. They’re more likely than other Canadians to save for the future and for their kids’ education, yet most still don’t have a will.
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Why do Canadians feel worse off?
The findings come from The Great Delay 2026, the third annual report from Willful, a Canadian online estate-planning platform. The survey, conducted by Canadian public opinion research firm Angus Reid, found 40% of Canadians feel worse off than a year ago, up from 37% in 2025. Of all cohorts, Gen X is hit hardest, at 47%.
Food and fuel topped the list. Almost all respondents (97%) say their grocery bills rose, by an estimated 21% on average, while 84% say their gas costs climbed.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.1% year over year in September, as gasoline prices jumped 27.8%. Grocery prices rose just 1.7%, the smallest annual increase since May 2024. But groceries still cost 33% more than they did in September 2020, so slower increases are landing on prices that never came back down.
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When savings cover the bills, emergencies hit harder
Nearly half of Canadians (47%) used savings to cover day-to-day costs this year, about the same share as in its 2024 and 2025 surveys, according to Willful. Another 7% have no savings at all.
When savings fill the financial void between paycheques, less is left for a real emergency, such as a job loss or a death in the family. Almost two-thirds of Canadians (63%) say they aren’t fully prepared to absorb that kind of shock.
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The deficit is substantial. Among the 82% of Canadians who say they need more income to reach their goals, the average shortfall is $818 a month.
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), the federal agency that protects financial consumers, recommends saving three to six months of regular expenses in a separate savings account. If that feels out of reach, the FCAC suggests starting small. Even $5 a week adds up to $260 after a year.
Why the sandwich generation is most exposed
When money is tight, planning that doesn’t feel urgent tends to get pushed back. That’s the pattern Willful’s report is named for, and it shows up most clearly in one group.
Nearly 1 in 4 Canadians (24%) has at least one living parent and a child, a group Willful calls the sandwich generation. They’re more likely than other Canadians to report rising costs on several fronts: child care (28% vs. 12%), supporting aging parents (27% vs. 16%) and debt repayment (49% vs. 44%). Nearly half (48%) carry a mortgage, compared with 35% of all Canadians, and 1 in 4 say rising mortgage renewal rates are holding back their financial goals.
The strain shows up in their plans. More than half (52%) have dipped into savings, and 63% delayed at least one financial task this year, compared with 55% of Canadians overall.
They’re also more likely to save for the future (47% vs. 38%) and to have contributed to a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) this year (21% vs. 7%). But fewer have a will (35%) than have an RESP (40%).
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What does skipping a will cost your family?
Without a will, provincial law decides who inherits your estate, and the rules vary by province. In Ontario, for example, only a married spouse inherits under the Succession Law Reform Act when someone dies without a will (known as dying intestate). A common-law partner gets no automatic share, no matter how long the couple lived together, though they may be able to apply to court for support as a dependent. A will is also where parents name a guardian for minor children. In Ontario, that appointment lasts only 90 days, and the person named must apply to court within that time to care for the children long term.
Willful found 63% of Canadians believe a relative dying without a will would cause family stress. And among the sandwich generation — often the ones left to act as executor — the number jumps to 74%.
What to do now
A few practical moves can help keep a tight year from turning into a family crisis:
- Move emergency cash into a separate account, and set automatic transfers, even if they’re small
- Make or update your will and name an executor and a guardian for minor children
- Set up powers of attorney for your finances and health care in case you fall ill or become incapacitated
- Review beneficiaries on your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and life insurance
- Ask your parents whether they’ve had a will written up and where it’s kept
Options range from an estate lawyer (or a notary in Quebec) to online will services. Blended families and business owners may want professional advice on how to proceed, since their situations are more nuanced.
“As a mom of two and a daughter, I’m part of the sandwich generation, and I know how quickly the pressures stack up,’ says Erin Bury, CEO and co-founder of Willful.
Survey methodology
The Great Delay 2026 survey was conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of Willful among 1,501 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum, from Sept. 1 to 10, 2026. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Year-over-year comparisons draw on Willful’s 2024 and 2025 surveys, also conducted with Angus Reid.
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Writer and editor based in Toronto with experience in personal finance, insurance, arts and culture and branded content.
