From The Atlantic:
This graph compares the share of spending between teens and adults.
… this (teenage spending) is how we all wish we could spend our money if we didn’t have to worry about a mortgage, insurance, savings, or any of that important “life” stuff.
Notice the difference in the amounts spend on ‘car.’ What may be going on out there is that teenagers, when they become adults, are figuring out ways to avoid spending more on automobiles so they can continue to consume clothing, entertainment and food in the manner they have become rather favourably accustomed to.
Teens spend nothing on cars because most don’t have a license yet. And, the few that do use their parents’ cars for free. They eat and buy clothes because they are growing.
This graph requires some explanation. First of all Spending on food ~1% (?). If that is so, I need a lot more money or I’ll starve. Thus I presume we are talking about DISPOSABLE income. Second, the teenage spending adds up to ~108%, which would mean, that the teens spend more than they have (no argument there). On the other hand the adult spending adds up to a lot less that 100%. A possible rationalization is that the adults have to make up the shortfall in the teens’ budget, by taking it out of their own, already smaller one. 🙁