Thursday, January 21, 2010

Hey, Big Spender: Bundle's Gender Breakdown

Although most people believe the stereotype that women shop more than men, Bundle.com used a new research tool and discovered that single men outspend single women in almost every category. Although men statistically make about 25% more then women in this country, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, this article from MSN Money.com asserts that even among similar income levels, men still outspend women.

Men spent about 19% more than women on food and 16% more on travel. Their insurance bills were higher, they paid more for school-related expenses, even their phones cost exceed that of women. Hey, I guess you've got to keep the bromance alive.

Look closer, and some of the trends suggest real differences in the ways single men and single women live their lives. They spent almost exactly the same amount of money on groceries, but men spent 45% more on eating out than women. Perhaps men are still picking up the check, or maybe women are more likely to cook.

And while it's not so surprising to learn that women spend more on clothes or what Bundle calls "personal care" -- spas, salons and the gym, among other expenses -- women's monthly spending on their pets tops men's by 57%.