Little Yet Costly Daily Expenses
Wonder where your money goes, especially if you’re not a big spender?
- Coffee: $360 per year. According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for a cup of brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.
- Unused Gym Memberships: $480 per year. Monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.
- Car Washes: $348 per year. The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.
- Manicures: $1,068 per year In 2004, the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.
- Weekday Lunches Out: $2,340 a year. $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most workdays. If you buy, rather than pack, a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,340 a year.
- Interest Charges on CC Bills: The median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. The average interest rate on a standard card is about 13%. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!
- Alcohol: Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That’s not chump change.
- Cigarettes: The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,650 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.
