When shopping, I often realise that a big percentage of what I buy goes to unnecessary stuff. Not sure if unnecessary is exactly the right word here, but I'm talking about items that I buy more for enjoying them than for making the hunger go away. Things such as fruits, chips, cheese etc. Basically things I enjoy eating but I don't see as necessary for me to stay alive. Anyway, though I do try to cut down on these items due to cost, I see maybe 20-30% of my grocery expenses going into these. Mainly trying out new foods or buying snacks.
A large part of my expenses go into PC games. I consider that pretty unnecessary. I hardly eat junk food and I don't buy jewelry, which I also consider unnecessary unless there is an emotional value to it, eg: my wedding ring. I also own over twenty domain names... Ah, such a money sink every year.
For me, the percentage is way too high. I'm 19 and still live with my parents, and have only ever worked part-time. I don't pay any bills, but I eat out far too often, and like to go shopping. It's always things I can use, but not always things I need. I also like to treat my boyfriend to things whenever I can, because he doesn't make very much and has to pay ALL of his own bills. I really need to shape up and stop my reckless spending, because I'm moving out soon and will need to learn to budget and save!
I used to be the queen of buying unnecessary things, but these days, I've been learning to save money. When I spend money, it's mostly for necessities, for investments, or for occasional purposes (for example, a girls night out with my best friends that I haven't seen in a long time). I spend money on good experiences rather than temporary experiences, such as eating out at expensive restaurants. I've learned to budget and spend my money wisely, so these days, I don't spend any money on unnecessary things.
Oddly enough, I have actually been tracking this information on my grocery bills. Anything that isn't necessary as a part of a meal or a healthy snack falls into my unnecessary category. For me this includes most sweet items, many bread type items (as that is my dietary weakness), and anything in the pop and chips aisle. Initially I found that upwards of 30% of the food that I bought wasn't for a specific purpose. Now that I keep an eye on it I have that down to 10-15%. I can make a trip without an unnecessary purchase, but then I am liable to run out and fulfill a craving with something worse. One thing I would not put on my list though is fruit. Too much can be bad, but for the most part I wouldn't consider it on my unnecessary list.
I can definitely say 0% is spend on unnecessary items in my life. Everything I buy goes a long way and also supports my family. I make careful decisions and calculations about my purchases so that we always have enough and a little extra. Basically I don't like that feeling of struggling too hard for money or denying myself and my dependents a bit of luxury here and there. And by luxury I mean good organic food and decent clothes, or a trip to the restaurant or theatre. We need mental and spiritual sustenance as well, so no dollar is ever wasted.
