New research has revealed that 31% of Americans have admitted to eating food that has passed its’ sell-by date in order to make financial budgets more attainable.
The study commissioned by 360couponcodes.com surveyed 1,000 Americans on their spending habits with surprising results.
It found that 42% of people have bought second-hand clothing items in order to cut costs, as well as a large percentage opting to take freebies left in hotel and leisure facilities.
Napkins, ketchup sachets and pens proved to be the most popular items, followed by packets of sugar, toiletries and plastic cutlery.
However, the moral stance in which many Americans take indicate that people are prepared to do things that they class as ‘wrong’ in order to save extra dollars – less than a quarter of those surveyed thought that taking these freebies from food outlets and hotels was a form of stealing.
Almost a third of Americans kept an eye on their savings by checking their budget multiple times per week; proving that people consider their finances important to keep on top of.
A staggering 80% of those surveyed admitted to shopping at dollar stores to avoid going over budget, along with 25% reporting that they had risked driving a car knowing that they had problems.
The research also showed that this kind of penny-pinching tactic had negative effects on people’s home life. 25% of couples reported that they had arguments which spawned from one partner’s attempt to save money.
Mike Meade, CEO of 360couponcodes.com said “The results of this study show that Americans are prepared to search for money-saving alternatives when handing over their hard-earned cash in exchange for daily necessities.”
He added, “Making your money go as far as possible is important to everyone. Finding the right balance between finding ways to seek out the best deals and learning to enjoy the money you make is crucial, especially when you consider how hard Americans work to earn their dollars!”.
Nearly half of all American children are currently living near the poverty line, according to research conducted in March by the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
