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How rich and poor Americans spend their money

Expenditure habits of the country's haves and have-nots
The rich spend 29.6% of their income on housing
The poor spend 39.8% of their income on housing
The rich spend 5% of their income on food at home
The poor spend 9.9% of their income on food at home
The rich spend 5.4% of their income on eating out
The poor spend 6.1% of their income on eating out
The rich spend 1.1% of their income on alcohol
The poor spend 0.7% of their income on alcohol
The rich spend 1.4% of their income on electricity
The poor spend 3.7% of their income on electricity
The rich spend 1.3% of their income on their cellular phone service
The poor spend 1.9% of their income on their cellular phone service
The rich spend 3.2% of their income on household furnishings and equipment
The poor spend 3.3% of their income on household furnishings and equipment
The rich spend 3.1% of their income on apparel and services
The poor spend 3.6% of their income on apparel and services
The rich spend 6.8% of their income on vehicle purchases
The poor spend 4.9% of their income on vehicle purchases
The rich spend 2.1% of their income on gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil
The poor spend 3.5% of their income on gasoline, other fuels, and motor oil
The rich spend 1.8% of their income on vehicle maintenance and repairs
The poor spend 1.3% of their income on vehicle maintenance and repairs
The rich spend 1.1% of their income on vehicle insurance
The poor spend 1.9% of their income on vehicle insurance
The rich spend 1.7% of their income on public and other transportation
The poor spend 1.1% of their income on public and other transportation
The rich spend 6.1% of their income on healthcare
The poor spend 8.5% of their income on healthcare
The rich spend 6.1% of their income on entertainment
The poor spend 5.2% of their income on entertainment
The rich spend 1.1% of their income on personal care products and services
The poor spend 1.4% of their income on personal care products and services
The rich spend 4.9% of their income on education
The poor spend 3.9% of their income on education
The rich spend 0.2% of their income on tobacco products and smoking supplies
The poor spend 1.1% of their income on tobacco products and smoking supplies
The rich spend 16.2% of their income on personal insurance and pensions
The poor spend 2.2% of their income on personal insurance and pension
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Expenditure habits of the country's haves and have-nots

How high and low-income Americans spend their money can be remarkably different. While the wealthy can afford to splash out on things like education, entertainment, and pensions, less affluent households have to allocate a much larger chunk of their earnings to basics such as housing, groceries, and utilities. Using data collated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we reveal how much of their income the richest 10% and poorest 10% spend on key items, from food to gasoline.
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Daniel Coughlin

21 May 2019

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