
AT&T recently asked Americans about their spending habits and calculated the lifetime cost of an often-overlooked category: video games.
The survey, conducted by AT&T’s All Home Connections team, polled 1,000 “gamers” who included people in four generations: Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and baby boomers. These are the estimates for lifetime average spending on gaming for each age group:
- Gen Z: $61,440
- Millennials: $66,048
- Gen X: $47,616
- Baby boomers: $39,936
Overall, the average gamer spends about $76 per month, the study found. That figure includes internet, in-app purchases, new games and game-related equipment.
The study also calculated how much each generation could have made if they instead had invested their gaming spending from age 16 to 65.
For the younger generations, it could mean more than a quarter-million dollars. But even for the generation that spends the least on games, baby boomers, that cash could amount to a theoretical $185,813 if invested at a 6% return rate.
If this sounds like a great idea, you don’t necessarily have to give up your gaming habit. You can always borrow games, sometimes even from your local library. Check out our story “Stop Buying These 11 Things That Are Free at Libraries” for even more ways to save.
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