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from the I-can-spend-until-I-reach-my-credit-limit,-right? dept.
If you have credit card debt, it may be time to scale back what you spend on luxury purchases.
But we’re not talking about doing without small luxuries like your morning coffee or an afternoon snack – things like your car loan or lease, leisure travel, dining and more can make a bigger difference.
A new CreditCards.com poll shows U.S. consumers who have credit card debt are outspending debt-free households in seven of nine discretionary spending categories (see chart). However, few are willing to cut back on any of their luxury purchases.
In fact, 18 percent of Americans who have credit card debt are unwilling to trim expenses in nine categories, including dining out, leisure travel and clothing (see chart). This despite the fact that the average credit card APR is nearly 18 percent.
[...]Our luxury spending poll also found:
- Many can live without dining out. Dining and takeout is the category all respondents – in debt or not – are most willing to cut in half. Still, less than half of those with credit card debt (48 percent) would trim their dining budgets, which average $2,186 per year.
- But vacations are a big budget item many won’t budge on. The average household with card debt spends $2,211 per year on leisure travel. But only 3 in 10 of those respondents would be willing to cut their travel spending in half.
- Cars, haircuts and cellphone plans are the biggest must-haves. The three categories people in debt were least willing to cut in half are personal care and beauty (23 percent), cellphone services and upgrades (25 percent) and car loans or leases (26 percent).
- Cut my streaming? You’re dreaming. Only 39 percent of respondents with debt would be willing to cut back on subscriptions services such as Netflix, Spotify and Xbox Live. However, at $1,198 per year, it’s the second-least-costly luxury expense among this group.
https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/luxury-spending-poll/
(Score: 5, Insightful) by ikanreed on Friday July 12 2019, @05:51PM (17 children)
That's one affordable round trip airplane trip for a family of 4. No hotel. No car rental.
More likely we're talking about maybe 2 week-long road-trips to affordable destinations. That's the "luxury". I sure-as-shit spent about that much for just me and my wife to travel internationally just once this year, and we had no room or board expenses. The reason I don't have massive debt is because I'm paid enough to do that.
Also the inclination that 26% of people wouldn't cut their car loans in half, as if possibly they're not already driving absolute junkers to get to their jobs.
I know! Hey poor people being screwed by our increasingly unequal society, you should just give up your ability to hold down a job, then you'll have less debt. Signed, a financial genius.
Or maybe they should give up "personal care" it's not like anyone needs you to bathe with soap or brush your teeth or get cavities filled.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 12 2019, @06:03PM
I know someone who makes >$1000 per day who doesn't use soap or go to the dentist but does brush with charcoal. In general I'd say they are in the 95% percentile of health. You definitely do not "need" that stuff.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by FatPhil on Friday July 12 2019, @06:27PM (11 children)
And toothpaste? You mean clays in slime with a frothing agent? If you brush your teeth properly, there's no need for that overpriced breath-freshener. OK, I use it, as it's convenient, and I have zero CC debt. I think it's over 30 years since I've seen a dentist, so I'm not sure this 'cavities' thing is totally universal - maybe everyone else eats more sweet foods, and drinks more carbonated drinks than me?
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday July 12 2019, @06:57PM (3 children)
I think sodium fluoride, sodium bicarbonate, and a few other substances probably have a beneficial effect. But I'm no dentist.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 12 2019, @08:52PM (1 child)
And yet, still no will let you show your face on television.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by FatPhil on Saturday July 13 2019, @09:09AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday July 13 2019, @08:43AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Friday July 12 2019, @08:18PM
Alternatively, you have a bunch of cavities that you just haven't noticed yet.
When you're getting your root canals maybe you'll realize that prevention is a good thing.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday July 12 2019, @08:47PM (1 child)
There's more to it than that, but yeah, sugar and carbonated drinks are hard on teeth... the thing is, some genetic lines have worse teeth than others...and not all in the same way. Harder teeth are more brittle.
If you doubt this, check out the dental problems of various breed of pure-bred dog. (People will jimmy the studies by eating whatever they decide to, but dogs don't have that option.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday July 13 2019, @09:06AM
Life has caused many a hard object to appear at high speed between my jaws, little things like pavements and cars (yes, I was once a cyclist, I know you couldn't have known that, as, sorry mate you didn't see me), and I don't have complete integrity to several of my pearly whites any more - they are indeed brittle as you say - but despite the missing enamel, they still seem to be holding up. Just.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday July 12 2019, @09:31PM (2 children)
And you wonder why everybody stays 3 paces away from you...
You probably got a good fluoride treatment as a pre-teen when your permanent teeth first came in. There's also something to basic hygiene: do you leave plaque films on your teeth after you've had sugars? Or, would such a thing make you get up in the middle of the night, hungover, to brush them off your teeth before you could get back to sleep? Some people can ignore the plaque, some can't.
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(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday July 13 2019, @08:53AM (1 child)
And what's a hangover? I just wake up still drunk, that's what the professionals do.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Saturday July 13 2019, @11:58AM
to prevent things that bother you. I've known more than a few people who are continually "grossed out" by the slightest scent of anything but bloody gums and peppermint.
Over the last 30 years I've only found one dentist I actually thought "served the patients" and about 6 who are apparently in practice to take as much of your money as possible. As such, I tend to go to the greed mongers once, get disillusioned, and stay away from the profession for 2-3 years before trying again. I never have a complaint, so I suppose I'm proving the greed mongers wrong too.
My wife tends to accept the suggested dental services more willingly, it does not seem to have done any good for her (one extraction for extreme pain, another on the way...)
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 13 2019, @12:19PM
25/m extra for the sauna is money well spent.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday July 12 2019, @09:24PM
I'm guessing that's an average... and I guess while we spend $2K/yr less on cars, we spend more than $2K/yr more on travel, on average.
For a while, we'd do a big trip once every other year, and it runs around $10K for a family of 4 for 3 weeks. Again, this is a matter of lifestyle choice, but I agree - $2K per year on travel entertainment seems quite light. If you just drive somewhere 40 miles from home once a week to visit the beach, or hiking or whatever, the mileage alone would cost $2K per year, not to mention food while you're there, the occasional overnight in a hotel, etc.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday July 12 2019, @09:24PM (1 child)
We have the money, we go to, say, Disney World (as we did a couple years ago).
We don't have the money, we go cabin camping, or cheap trip to Niagara Falls (i love that place, my wife has had enough of it, lol).
We REALLY don't have the money, we do day trips.
Our son travels well and loves going places so he goes everywhere with us. We just spend what we can afford.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday July 12 2019, @10:51PM
The perfect consumer... Actually, Oscar Wilde was the perfect consumer, if I cash my chips at maximum debt that's the ideal way to go. Unfortunately, my crystal ball sucks, so I avoid any debt that exceeds inflation - I think my home mortgage at 2.7% is very cheap credit.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by loonycyborg on Saturday July 13 2019, @12:44AM
Yes, those things are most definitely not "luxuries". More like non-essential expenses. Something you temporarily cut down on in time of financial hardship. Luxuries are brand name accessories, personal yachts and Apple devices.