Americans were less likely to put off some kinds of spending in 2015 than they were last year, new HuffPost/YouGov polling shows, but their views of their personal finances remain largely unchanged.

Just 18 percent of Americans say their current financial situation is better than it was at the start of the year, while 50 percent say things are about the same, and 30 percent say they've gotten worse -- nearly identical to the public's outlook at the end of last year. Those who did see an improvement are more likely to credit their own hard work rather than a generally improving economy.

Predictions for the future also remain modest. Only 29 percent believe they'll be better off a year from now, similar to the 26 percent who said the same last December.

The share who say they worry all the time about finances -- 33 percent -- and who say they're either just getting by or not even managing that -- 66 percent -- also haven't budged. That tracks with views of the national economy as a whole, which have remained relatively stable over 2015 .

Still, there are some signs in the HuffPost/YouGov survey that Americans may have grown a little more comfortable since last year with spending money.

Fifty-nine percent say saving money played at least a minor part in planning their holidays this year, which represents a 9-point drop since 2014. Compared to last year, respondents to the poll were also 6 points less likely to say they'd put off buying clothes or other personal items, 5 points less likely to have delayed home repairs or maintenance and 7 points less likely to have waited to fix their cars.