Workplace Spending: Employees Spend More on Lunches than Commuting

Looking to get workplace spending under control? You might start with coffee and lunch, the two biggest drains on American workers’ wallets, according to a new survey by Accounting Principals.

The American workforce spends an average of approximately $1,000 a year on coffee and nearly $2,000 a year on lunch. In comparison, commuting expenses run to about $1,500 a year (42 percent of workers most want their companies to compensate them for transportation). 

Half of American workers buy coffee regularly at work, the survey found. Younger professionals ages 18-34 spend almost twice as much on coffee during the work than those over 45. Two-thirds of the workforce are also opting to buy instead of pack their lunch. Here, too, younger workers are shelling out more per week than their older counterparts (about $45 vs. $32, respectively).

More men than women buy coffee at work (54 percent vs. 45 percent) as well as lunch (69 percent vs. 62 percent), and spend nearly two times as much as women in the process.

Employers looking to raise office morale might consider upgrading food options as well as and equipment. Survey respondents said they would appreciate more company investment in vending machine snacks (25 percent), coffee (22 percent) or tea and other hot beverages (17 percent).

But beyond food and drink options, what employees would really appreciate is better office equipment (46 percent) and more comfortable chairs (32 percent).

Bringing down workplace expenses is becoming a priority especially for younger workers, nearly half (45 percent) of whom said they plan to start packing their own lunches. But paying off debt tops the to-do list for 43 percent of working Americans.

More than half of workers surveyed (57 percent) said they plan to use their year-end bonus to pay off debt, nearly a quarter (21 percent) of which is credit card related. Thirteen percent said they plan to put their bonus in a personal savings account. Just 9 percent said they plan to use it for a vacation, while 4 percent said they would go on a shopping spree with the extra money.

A majority of women, the survey found, are more inclined than men to use their bonus to pay off their debt (65 percent vs. 50 percent). They are also more resolute than men to cut down on nonessential shopping (39 percent vs. 28 percent). Men, though, are more likely than women to increase contributions to their 401(k) (30 percent vs. 16 percent).