Most of the money that the average American spends goes to housing costs–31.5% for rent and mortgages. This is followed by 8.6% in food, according to government data. For over 60 years, housing and food have remained the biggest categories. However, back in 1949 Americans spent 40% of their money on food while today that it is down to 15.3%. Meanwhile, the percentage for housing rose from 26.1% to 41.0%. To learn more, click here!