Are Your Spending Habits On Par With the Average Consumer?

I just came across an incredibly cool, interactive chart, created by The New York Times, which details consumer spending habits. I was surprised to learn that only 3% of consumer spending is spent on full-service restaurant meals – only .6% more than the 2.4% spent at fast food restaurants.

Also noteworthy is gasoline. From March 2007 to March 2008, consumers spent approximately 5.2% of their income on gas – an increase of a whopping 26% from the year prior! Man, that Toyota Prius is starting to look awfully sweet!

Here’s the breakdown of the larger spending categories:

• 42% – Housing
• 18% – Transportation
• 15% – Food and Beverages
• 6% – Education/Communication
• 6% – Health care
• 6% – Recreation
• 4% – Apparel
• 3% – Miscellaneous

So where do your spending habits stand compared to those of the average consumer? Do these numbers seem like they’re on the money?