41 Astonishing Money Facts That Will Leave You Speechless

Money and Our Fantasies

1. More Fantasies About Money Than Sex: Believe it or not, more people fantasize about money than sex. This might not be too surprising given the financial pressures many face today.
2. Luxury Choices: If money were no object, more people would choose to spend on a butler or maid than any other luxury.
3. Pet Gifts: A whopping 90% of American pet owners buy Christmas gifts for their pets (source).

Money and Relationships

1. Marital Disagreements: Money is the leading cause of arguments in marriages, surpassing issues like infidelity and household chores (source).
2. Deserted Island for $1 Million: 65% of Americans would live alone on a deserted island for a year for $1,000,000.
3. Extreme Measures for $10 Million: For $10,000,000, many would abandon family, friends, and even change their race or sex. Shockingly, 1 in 14 would commit murder for this amount. The willingness to do these extreme acts remains consistent down to $3 million but drops significantly at $2 million.

Money and Stress

1. Biggest Stressor: Money is the top stress inducer for Americans, more than health, relationships, or even major sports events (source).
2. Laundered Money in Japan: Hitachi ATMs in Japan sanitize bills by pressing them between rollers at high temperatures to kill bacteria.

Spending Habits

1. Bra Spending: Women have specific spending limits on bras. Only 3.5% would spend $100, while 38.3% won't spend more than $30.
2. Light Bulb Theft: Nearly half of people selling their homes with furniture included take all the light bulbs when they leave.
3. Picking Up Money: Most people won't bend down to pick up money unless it's at least a dollar.
4. Pennies: Many Americans find pennies annoying and believe the U.S. Mint should stop producing them.

Counterfeit Money

1. Counterfeit Statistics: Out of $405 billion in circulation, only $32 million is counterfeit, making the counterfeit rate just 0.0079%. Interestingly, $20 bills are counterfeited more often than $100 bills (source).

Lottery and Gambling

1. Lottery Beliefs: One in four Americans believe their best chance of getting rich is by playing the lottery.
2. Lottery Spending: 5% of lottery ticket buyers purchase 51% of all tickets sold.
3. Lottery Odds: The odds of winning a lottery jackpot are about 1 in 10 million.
4. Lottery Dangers: A person driving 10 miles to buy a lottery ticket is three times more likely to die in a car accident than win the jackpot.

Shopping and Spending

1. Coupon Inserts: Sunday newspaper coupon inserts are the second-most read section after the front page.
2. Single-Disease Insurance: Few people know that single-disease insurance policies are available.
3. Tailor-Made Clothes: Only 6% of Americans regularly buy tailor-made clothes.
4. Online Shopping: 63% of people decide not to buy a product online due to high shipping and handling charges.
5. ATM Preference: Eight times as many Americans prefer using ATMs over dealing with a live teller.
6. Check Payments: Surprisingly, 83% of Americans still use checks instead of credit cards.

Financial Perceptions

1. Feeling Rich: Almost 30% of Americans say they would need $3 million to feel rich.
2. Internet Security: 80% of Americans are scared to give personal information, especially credit card details, over the Internet.

Miscellaneous Money Facts

1. Spousal Fidelity for Money: Two-thirds of Americans wouldn't let their spouse spend the night with someone else for a million dollars, though many might change their minds if the money was physically presented.
2. Wedding Costs: The average American wedding costs around $20,000 (source).
3. Money vs. Sex in Marriage: Over one-third of American women believe money is more important than good sex for a successful marriage.
4. Social Security: According to the Employee Benefits Research Institute, 96% of current workers won't be eligible for full Social Security benefits at age 65 (source).
5. Home Preferences: The most desired feature in a home is a state-of-the-art kitchen.
6. Car Shopping: When buying a car, people prioritize reliability and price.
7. Charity Fundraising: One effective way to raise money for charity is to host a free dinner and place an empty envelope under each plate for donations.
8. Tipping: People tip more generously on sunny days than on gloomy ones.
9. IRS Hotline: Over 80 million people call the IRS Information Hotline annually, with one-third of calls going unanswered. Of those answered, 47% receive incorrect information (source).

Financial Behavior and Fears

1. Financial Behavior Changes: Nearly two out of three people have altered their financial behavior due to fears.
2. Job Security Concerns: People in the South are almost three times more worried about losing their jobs compared to those in the Midwest.

Shopping vs. Sex

1. Shopping vs. Sex: More women would prefer an unlimited shopping spree over a weekend with a fabulous lover. The top fantasy for women is having a blank check to shop at their favorite store, while men’s fantasies often involve the salesgirl rather than the items for sale.

More Weird Facts...

Stay tuned for more intriguing and lesser-known facts about money that will continue to surprise and enlighten you.