Calgary – September 22, 2026 -- Forty-one percent of adults under 45 in the U.S. and Canada now pay for services that family and friends once provided, more than double the 18% reported by adults aged 62-80, according to a new study from Cashew Research.
The survey of 2,002 adults, titled The Capacity Gap, found that social support networks remain intact but are failing to convert into practical help. Seventy percent of respondents said they have a good emotional support system and 67% feel connected to a community, yet a widening share are turning to paid services to fill the gap between having support and having the time to use it.
Caregivers absorb the sharpest capacity squeeze
Nearly two-thirds of caregivers said they will pay for faster delivery when the person they care for needs something, even as they cut their own spending on dining, entertainment and travel. One-third of caregivers reported taking on debt to cover caregiving services, a figure that rises to 41% among caregivers aged 18-29.
Paid convenience shifts from luxury to necessity
For this group, outsourcing has moved beyond a lifestyle choice into a coping mechanism for managing competing demands with limited time. "Convenience isn't just about getting something faster or easier. It's about creating capacity for caregiving, relationships, work and the things people can't outsource," said Addy Graves, CEO of Cashew.
Younger consumers redefine what convenience buys
The generational split -- 41% versus 18% -- indicates that younger adults are reallocating limited personal capacity toward priorities they view as harder to replace, using paid services to protect time for relationships and caregiving rather than treating outsourcing as indulgence.
Brands face a strategic opening beyond speed and price
The study frames this shift as a commercial signal for consumer brands: the market opportunity is not just selling convenience but selling capacity itself. Companies that identify which tasks consumers want to retain control over -- and which they are willing to hand off -- stand to capture spending from both younger professionals and financially strained caregivers.