Spending money is part of life, as you’ll need to pay for essentials such as food and housing and for discretionary costs such as entertainment. But the more you spend, the less you have available to save or accomplish big financial goals, so you’ll want to be careful about your cash outlays.
Some people tend to spend more money than others. Many factors affect spending habits, and age is one of them. Which age group spends the most money? Here’s the surprising answer.
What demographic spends the most money?
According to research from SmartAsset, one particular generation outspends others. And, the answer to the question, what age group spends the most money, may surprise you.
The answer is that Gen Xers are the biggest spenders, with more money going out than either millennials or baby boomers. This could be partially explained by the fact that Gen Xers also have the highest post-tax incomes of any demographic group.
How much more are Gen Xers spending?
While answering the question of what age group spends the most money is interesting, that’s not the end of the story. You’re probably wondering how much more members of this demographic group spend than their peers. SmartAsset also has the answer to that question.
- Gen Xers have an average post-tax income of $88,794 and spend an average of $74,683 based on the data SmartAsset analyzed.
- Baby Boomers have an average post-tax income of $67,950 and spend an average of $63,325 annually.
- Millennials have an average post-tax income of $58,628 and spend an average of $52,874 annually.
The spending disparity is quite substantial, as you can see. Gen Xers outspend millennials by 41% and baby boomers by 18%.
Which demographic spends the most money as a percentage of income?
While Gen Xers have the biggest cash outlays, they also have a higher income which helps to explain why their spending is higher. But, you may also want to know which demographic group spends the most money as a percentage of their earnings.
Since Gen Xers have an average income of $88,794 and spend $74,683, they spend around 84% of their take-home pay. Baby Boomers, with their average income of $67,950 and their average spending of $63,325, typically spend about 93% of their income. And millennials spend about 90% of their income.
It’s essential to consider spending as a percentage of income because it measures how much you are saving. Suppose your spending is high, but your income is also high. In that case, you might have more flexibility to spend more as long as you’re saving as well.
Unfortunately, SmartAsset indicates that the savings rates of all three demographic groups are below the recommended amount. Millennials and Baby Boomers both save less than 10% of their after-tax earnings, while Gen Xers save about 16%. Most experts recommend saving 20% of your earnings for retirement and other future goals.
How can members of every generation increase their savings?
Now that you’ve answered the question of which demographic spends the most money, it’s apparent that while Gen Xers are the biggest spenders, every generation is spending too much.
That’s why it is so important to look for savings opportunities. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reduce costs, including:
- Making and living on a budget that prioritizes savings
- Paying off debt
- Refinancing debt to lower monthly payment costs
- Reducing fixed costs, such as lowering car loan payments by opting for an inexpensive used vehicle and keeping your car after it has been paid off
By looking for ways to reduce expenditures, it should be possible for all generations to make more fiscally responsible choices that will set them up for a more secure future.
Can refinancing student loans help you save?
For members of every generation, educational expenses are a considerable cost. SmartAsset revealed that Baby Boomers spend an average of $1,451 on reading and education while Gen Xers spend $2,260 and millennials spend $1,372.
Some of these expenditures may be for student loan payments, as millions of people still have outstanding student loan debt. The good news is that if you have private student loans, refinancing could help to reduce monthly and total borrowing costs.
Refinancing means securing a new loan at a lower interest rate than the existing loans. A reduced rate can mean more of each payment goes to the principal, and financing charges go down. Depending on the repayment term of the refinance loan, borrowers could save substantially on their total costs and become debt-free sooner.
Refinancing is advisable only for private student loans in most cases, as federal loans are subject to different and more favorable rules than private loans, and you cannot refinance them without losing those benefits. But if you have private student loan debt, securing a refinance loan is well worth looking into in order to provide a savings opportunity.
