GoFundMe CEO says the economy is so bad that more of his customers are crowdfunding just to pay for their groceries.
We thought 25% of consumers using BNPL for groceries is nuts.
Now, this? https://t.co/4ejLhDyl6o
— Unicus (@UnicusResearch) October 14, 2025
People are literally crowdfunding groceries.
Let that sink in.
The CEO of GoFundMe says more Americans are raising money just to eat.
Not medical bills. Not disasters. Food. pic.twitter.com/BH9uzPIOu5
— Amanda Goodall (@thejobchick) October 15, 2025
Food inflation is insane right now
— Don Johnson (@DonMiami3) October 15, 2025
Just in time as inflation starts rising again 🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/ICLQcsBvbJ
— QE Infinity (@StealthQE4) October 14, 2025
GoFundMe’s CEO just said the quiet part out loud: in this economy, more Americans are crowdfunding groceries to get by.
The head of GoFundMe, Tim Cadogan, told Yahoo! Finance the economy is so challenged that more Americans are raising money to buy food—an arresting data point that captures the widening gap between household budgets and basic needs.
In a recent interview on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Brian Sozzi, he described a notable rise in campaigns for essentials like groceries, a shift from one-off emergencies toward everyday survival.
“Basic things you need to get through life [have] gone up significantly in the last three years in practically all our markets,” Cadogan said.
That evolution underscores the new economic reality for many Americans: persistent inflation, higher borrowing costs, and thin financial cushions are forcing many households to triage bills, juggle debt, and seek help in new ways.
Groceries as the new emergency
Cadogan’s observation—that more people are asking strangers to help pay for staples—marks a sobering turn for a platform historically associated with medical bills, disaster relief, and community projects. When the cost of food stretches paychecks past the breaking point, crowdfunding morphs from altruism to a parallel safety net.
In previous Fortune coverage of inflation’s long tail, consumers’ coping tactics have included trading down brands, shrinking baskets, delaying car repairs, and leaning on credit cards. The shift Cadogan describes suggests those tactics have run out of runway for a growing slice of the country, especially younger and lower-income households who rent, commute, and carry variable-rate debt.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gofundme-ceo-says-economy-bad-182843671.html
Grocery Prices Keep Rising. Frustrated Consumers Trying to Adapt…
https://www.wsj.com/economy/consumers/grocery-price-inflation-customer-reactions-346487f7
Average new car price tops $50,000…
https://www.techspot.com/news/109849-average-new-car-price-tops-50000-first-time.html
Jerome Powell:
“Inflation is certainly running above our target and appears to be continuing to increase.”
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) October 14, 2025
Trump: Groceries are down.
Fact check: false.
pic.twitter.com/XFgXXNZelC— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 14, 2025
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is saying the Fed will protect the job market over fighting inflation and print money to flood the system with liquidity.
byu/TonyLiberty inFluentInFinance
BREAKING: New US tariffs on imported kitchen cabinets, vanities, lumber, timber and certain upholstered furniture have come into effect.
Under a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump last month, a 10% tariff on softwood lumber and timber imports now apply.
A 25% tariff…
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) October 15, 2025