Ten things Americans waste the most money on

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Do you ever sit there sometimes at the end of the week and wonder where all your money went? Well here are 10 things that most of us spend money on that we probably don't need but that answer the question of where our money went. Some may surprise you.





10. Apparel Products and Services

Annual Amount Spent Per Household: $249
% of Total Annual Expenses: 0.5%

This category includes unnecessary purchases such as clothing rentals and storage, dry cleaning, jewelry, and watch repair. Clothing and shoe repairs, which are also included, are rarely considered a waste, but they account for a relatively modest portion of this category. The average amount spent per household is $249. This is slightly down from the 1989 amount, which was $266.

9. Tobacco
Annual Amount Spent Per Household: $380
% of Total Annual Expenses: 0.8%

The average household spends more than $380 each year on tobacco products and smoking supplies, which includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco. It is worth remembering that this average includes households where no one pays for tobacco products. Despite this fact, tobacco’s portion of the average household’s budget, 0.8%, is larger than what Americans spend on fresh fruit and milk combined. A person who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day in New York state will spend more than $4,000 a year, which is roughly 10% of the average American income before taxes.


8. Entertainment Equipment and Services, NonessentialAnnual Amount Spent Per Household: $400
% of Total Annual Expenses: 0.8%

Products in this category include bicycles, trailers, camping equipment, hunting and fishing equipment, sports equipment, boats, photographic equipment and supplies. The average expenditures dedicated to items in this category among all households is $400. The greatest average amount, $870, occurs among households with a husband, wife, and an eldest child age 6 to 17 years. In households with only one parent and at least one child under 18, the amount drops to $188. In 1989, the average amount for all households was slightly less, at $369.

7. AlcoholAnnual Amount Spent Per Household: $435
% of Total Annual Expenses: 0.9%

In 2009, the average American household spent $435 on beer, wine, hard liquor, and mixed drinks. This is more than the amount spent on all non-alcoholic beverages combined. Despite the higher prices often paid in restaurants and bars, the majority of money spent is on alcohol is for drinks consumed in the home. Households consisting only of a husband and wife spent an average of $582, roughly $400 more than single-parent households. On average, household spending on alcohol increased 35% from 1989, but the percent of their total budget spent on drinks is about the same: 1% in 1989 versus 0.9% in 2009.

6. Fees and AdmissionsAnnual Amount Spent Per Household: $628
% of Total Annual Expenses: 1.3%

In 2009, the average household spent $628 on fees and admissions for sporting events, films, and concerts. This category also includes club memberships and movie rentals. These costs are more than what the average household spent on personal care products. People in the Northeast spent $780 on this category, about $370 more than those in the South. The average annual expenses for these products are nearly double what they were in 1989, when the average movie ticket cost $4, about half of what people spend today.

5. Lodging, Vacation Homes and HotelsAnnual Amount Spent Per Household: $672
% of Total Annual Expenses: 1.4%

The average American household spent more than $670 on vacation homes and hotels. While this is more than the $485 spent twenty years ago, Americans are actually spending less than they used to on their total budgets – 1.7% in 1989 versus 1.4% in 2009. As might be expected, households which make more than $70,000 each year spent far more than the average American: $1,511 in 2009. Households in the Northeast spent $924 on vacation homes and hotels, nearly double what those in the South pay each year.

4. Pets, Toys, Hobbies, and Playground EquipmentAnnual Amount Spent Per Household: $690
% of Total Annual Expenses: 1.4%

The average household spent nearly $700 on pets, toys, hobbies, and playground equipment. Nearly 80% of the expenses in this category come from pets, including food and veterinary bills. In contrast, households only spent $140 on toys and games. Families with the oldest child under 6 only spent $670. Families with a child older than 18 spent nearly $1,200. Most of this difference comes from significantly more spending on veterinary services. Households in the Western United States spent $800 on pets, toys and games – 20% more than those in the Midwest. These expenses have increased from 0.9% of household budgets in 1989 to 1.4% in 2009.

3. Television, Radio, and Sound EquipmentAmount Spent Per Household: $975
% of Total Annual Expenses: 2%

In 2009, the average household spent $975 on television, radio, and sound equipment, including cable TV, video game hardware, and movie players. This amount is up from $429 in 1989. For comparison, the average amount spent on reading material, which is another household expenditure category, was only $109. The group which spent the greatest portion of their budget in this category, 2.5%, was those who made between $5,000 to $9,999. The group which spent the least was the group making the most. Households earning $70,000 or more spent only 1.7% of their budget on items in this category.

2. GiftsAmount Spent Per Household: $1,067
% of Total Annual Expenses: 2.2%

Although Americans spend a great deal of money on unnecessary goods and services for themselves, they also spend a large amount on gifts for others. The average amount spent on gifts (including housing, apparel, and entertainment items) per household in 2009 was $1,067. This amount has increased from $887 in 2009. Households with incomes of less than $5,000 spent an average of $479, while households earning between $5,000 and $9,999 spent an average $261, the lowest amount.

1. Food Away From HomeAmount Spent Per Household: $2,619
% of Total Annual Expenses: 5.3%

Food away from home includes all meals at fast food, take-out, delivery, full-service restaurants, and at vending machines and food carts. In 2009, the average household spent $2,619 on food away from home, compared to an average $1,762 in 1989. The group which spent the most in this category, relative to household income, are those which make less than $5,000 a year. This group spent an average 6.2% of their total budget on food away from home. Those making between $5,000 and $9,999 spent 4.7%.

Read more: Ten Things Americans Waste the Most Money On - 24/7 Wall St. Ten Things Americans Waste the Most Money On

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