Americans Report They Spend An Average Of $2,746 On Lunch Yearly, According To A Visa Survey

According to the results of a new survey of American consumers commissioned by Visa, respondents report they spend an average of $53 a week or $2,746 per year on lunch. Overall, the most popular spot to eat lunch was home -- 42% of Americans said that they typically eat lunch at home. Full-time employees tended to stick close to the office -- 53% said that they typically eat lunch at work, including 26% at their desks. The survey intended to call consumers' attention to opportunities to save and budget in their discretionary spending.

Visa's survey showed that men both outspent women at the lunch counter and were more likely to eat lunch out. Males outspend females on a weekly basis by an average of 60%. One percent of people reported spending more than $50 per lunch on average or more than $9,000 a year, while 32% respondents said that they didn't buy lunch out at all.

Other findings included:

• For lunch meals out, Americans surveyed reported spending an average of $20 per week or $1,043 per year.
• Americans surveyed said they purchase lunch from a restaurant an average of nearly twice a week and spend more than $11 on average per outing compared with only $6.30 on average a day preparing their own.
• Students reported eating out for lunch more often than any other segment and spent the most on a weekly average at $27.47.
• Southerners lead the country in both frequency of lunches out and in amount spent. Respondents from the Southern states reported eating out twice per week, spending an average of $1,240 a year eating lunch out and an overall combined average of$2,953 on lunch.
• Northeasterners reported spending the second most per year eating lunch out at $1,001 on average, trailed by the Midwest respondents at $896 on average and finally the West respondents at $866 on average per year eating out. While Northeasterners reported spending the most making lunch at home, they came in second in overall combined yearly lunch spending at $2,893 on average, once again trailed by the Midwest at $2,519 on average and the West at $2,489 on average. Full survey results.

Editor’s Note:  The interesting fact about this survey is the amount of money Americans are spending during the lunch hours, a prime time for vending and micro market operators. There is an opportunity for operators to gain more of the consumer dollar from those 53% of employees who stay in the office for lunch.