That article is repeating a falsehood that's been widely refuted. The surveys that article is likely mentioning do not ask individuals if they could pay for an expense using just their savings, but rather how would they pay for an unexpected expense. Some clickbait sites then take facts like, let's say, only 31% choose 'from savings' to create fake news along the lines of '69% of Americans do not have the savings to cover a $xxx expense'.

It's completely fake. I, for instance, would also not answer 'from savings' -- probably preferring to reduce expenses, since I try to avoid touching my savings.