Everything is okay in moderation. Or so some say. But even a little bit here and there can really add up. If we’re being honest, we all have some bad habits that we just can’t shake. While some simply think of bad habits and their effect on our health, did you know those bad habits cost us a lot of money?
Sure, many of our bad habits can negatively affect our health. But often those habits can affect our wallets too. Up front, there’s the cost associated with the habit that can really add up. But in the long run, it may affect your wallet even more by negatively affecting your health.
LifeHacker compiled a list of some of our bad habits and how much they cost us annually. And once you see the numbers broken down, you might be in for quite the shock!
We’ll take a look at a few of these bad habits and their costs. To see the full list, click here.
Substances
Whether they are legal or not, substances can definitely impact our health… and our wallets. And unfortunately, we’re often addicted to the substance, making it even harder to give up despite knowing they aren’t good for us.
Think about the cost of these substances:
Nicotine: Cigarettes are very expensive now, ranging from $6-$12 a pack. Smoking one pack a day means you’re spending more than $4,000 a year! Not to mention if you’re a smoker, insurance and health coverage can often wind up costing you a lot more too. And even with vaping, you’re probably spending $2,000+ each year.
Alcohol: There’s no denying that alcohol can be really expensive, especially when you’re dining out. Some cocktails can cost $18-20. Even drinking beer can really add up throughout the year. According to LifeHacker, going out a few times a month can lead to $68,000 to more than $128,000 on average for your lifetime (depending on where you live).
Fast Food
This one hits hard. Because it’s just SO easy to grab fast food after a long day, or when you haven’t had a chance to cook. And of course, we all know that fast food isn’t great for our health either! Then you have inflation that has caused the cost of even fast food to steadily go up. According to LifeHacker, the average person can spend between $2,400 and $10,000 on fast food each year! To top it off, add in all the soda we drink, that’s about $350 a year, and coffee can lead to us spending more than $1,000 a year.
Lack Of Exercise
You might not think of your lack of exercise as costing you money. In fact most people think working out is going to cost them more money (gym, shoes, clothes, etc.). According to LifeHacker, it’s estimated that people leading sedentary lifestyles spend around $1,500 more every year on health-related costs.
