Study: Workers Spend $1,000 Yearly on Coffee

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - American's weakness for coffee is proven once again in a new survey conducted by Accounting Principals .

In a telephone survey of 1,000 Americans who were currently employed, ages 18 or older, the participators were asked how much money they spend on "work-related" expenses.

Despite recent tough economic times, results showed that 50 percent of the American workforce regularly spent money on coffee. This totaled, on average, $1,000 a year on coffee alone.

Broken down ever further, it was found that more men splurge on coffee than women (54 percent versus 45 percent). And the younger crowd, ages 18-34, spent almost twice as much on coffee than their older co-workers ($24.74 versus $14.15 weekly).

Why do workers seem to dismiss their budget (if they have one) when it comes to treating themselves to their favorite cup of joe?

Jodi Chavez, senior Vice President of Accounting Principals, told The New York Times , "They budget in new furniture or their commute, but not a coffee here or there. So over the course of a week or month people don't realize what this expense is."

It's not only going out for a daily coffee that is a guilty pleasure. Buying a lunch every day is also an expense that the workers don't take into account.

Sixty-six percent of Americans buy their lunch every day for an average expense of $37 a week. That adds up to almost $2,000 a year on lunch.

Men spend more than women in this category, again ($46.60 versus $26.50 weekly). And, again, the 18-34 year olds spend more than the over-45 crowd ($44.78 versus $31.80).

Those coffees and lunches here or there do add up. So much so, that the amount of money spent on lunch per year exceeds the average worker's commuting expenses.

The survey revealed that the average commuting expense totals an average of $1,500 a year, $500 less than what it costs for lunch per year. Yet, workers still preferred to have their employers reimburse their commuting costs instead of lunch.