(From Time MoneyLand Blog)
Fourth of July weekend is meant for celebrating liberty, and that often translates into people feeling free to splurge on parties, drink to excess, and play with fireworks. By one estimate, underage males are more than twice as likely to wind up in alcohol-related visits to the ER this weekend, and consumers in the 18- to 24-age category are expected to spend the most money over the holiday ($379), with men spending more than women.
A survey from Visa has it that the average American will spend $216 on travel, food, entertainment, and of course, fireworks and beverages this weekend. Men spend more than women, on average ($247 vs. $182), young people spend more than older folks ($379 for 18- to 24-year-olds, $155 for 50- to 64-year-olds), and Southerners spend more than residents of other parts of the country—$263, on average, compared to $146, $178, and $230 in the Northeast, Midwest, and West, respectively.
Ostensibly, a young man living in the South will whoop it up and party the most this weekend, a theory that doesn’t sound too far-fetched.
- Brad Tuttle, July 1, 2011
