32% of Americans are swapping BBQ for pizza this July 4th

'Za summer? More than 2 in 5 Gen Zers and Millennials (43%; 32% overall) are skipping traditional barbecues in favor of ordering pizza on Fourth of July — driven by the rising costs of hosting summer celebrations, according to new Empower research.

Key takeaways:

• Independence and inflation: 68% of Americans say barbecues are noticeably more expensive to host this year, due to inflation (49%) and rising grocery costs (56%); 55% say tariffs will make holiday celebrations more expensive.
• Stars, stripes and spending: Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) say they'll spend more this year than last on Fourth of July festivities.
• Shopping list red, white and blues: Close to half (49%) have noticed a change in the cost for the ingredients to host a barbecue.
• Fourth and friends: To help cut back on expenses, 43% have asked their Fourth of July guests to bring something to the celebration, like food and drinks (49% Gen Zers, 52% of Millennials).
• Party pass: 34% plan to skip Fourth of July celebrations altogether to save money.
• In pursuit of happiness: Still, 65% are focused on enjoying the moment, and 58% plan to shop Fourth of July sales to stretch their dollar further.

Sizzling costs are cooling cookouts

Nearly 7 in 10 Americans (68%) say the cost of hosting cookouts and barbecues has noticeably increased this year, and half have felt the squeeze at the grocery store when buying ingredients for the grill (49%). More than 4 in 10 say they've delayed buying a new grill to save money (43%).

Inflation and rising grocery costs are top of mind, as 49% of Americans admit their summer celebration plans — including Fourth of July — have been directly impacted. And for 34%, the best way to save is to skip the party altogether.

Stars, stripes and spending

Some Americans are ready to celebrate big this Independence Day: nearly 4 in 10 (38%) say they'll spend more this year than last on Fourth of July festivities — and it's not just on fireworks. Biggest spending categories include:

• 62% say food and drinks / groceries or takeout
• 28% say fireworks or entertainment
• 25% say hosting or attending a party
• 20% say travel or gas
• 14% say patriotic clothing and accessories

Celebrate smarter, not harder

Nearly two-thirds (65%) are focused on enjoying the moment, even if it means cutting back elsewhere. Though almost half (47%) aren't worried about the costs of celebrating, 65% say they are prioritizing saving money.

Savvy strategies in play:

• 43% are asking guests to pitch in by bringing food or drinks, rising to over half of Gen Z (49%) and Millennials (52%).
• 58% are taking advantage of Fourth of July sales or promotions (64% of Millennials) to save money; in fact, 37% say they wait for deal days to make big-ticket buys like mattresses or appliances (49% Millennials vs 22% Boomers).
• 19% are sticking close to home to avoid travel costs.
• 15% are co-hosting celebrations to split expenses.

Debt, deals and decision fatigue

The balancing act between celebration and budgeting is real: More than 1 in 5 (22%) are even willing to go into debt to enjoy a full-blown holiday bash — rising to 36% among Millennials.

Most Americans (68%) are working to strike the right balance between having fun and staying frugal: 55% say they typically set a budget for holiday celebrations. Overall, close to 4 in 10 are skipping most celebrations this year due to cost (39%).

*ABOUT THE STUDY

Empower's "July 4th Spending" study is based on online survey responses from 2,200 Americans ages 18+ fielded by a third-party panel provider from June 21 - 23, 2025. The survey is weighted to be nationally representative of U.S. adults.

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