Survey: Many Americans spend more on coffee than investing

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - The average New Yorker's coffee-from-a-coffee-shop consumption likely outpaces the average American's. And thus before even factoring in New York prices, likely so too does the average New Yorker's coffee-from-a-coffee-shop budget.

"Every time you make a purchase, we round up the purchase to the nearest dollar and invest the spare change into a portfolio of ETFs," said Acorns CEO Noah Kerner, explaining his money-management app to us in that one sentence.

He hoped that demonstrates its effectiveness to the uninitiated with a survey of 3,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 44, more than one-third of whom fessed up to spending more money on coffee last year than they invested. One in four people surveyed told Acorns they spent $11 or more per week on coffee.

"Young people are typically focused on the present, not thinking as much about the future," Kerner said.

He said he believes investing and money management services like his must simplify and make financial services more convenient for young people so they begin investing earlier.

"I think the key is to make what we call big decisions small, to make it really easy," Kerner said. "So when you sign up for Acorns in 3 to 5 minutes, you're an investor."

In the case of Acorns, even if you're unable to reallocate your daily coffee investment into an elsewhere with a more meaningful impact on your financial future.