I can already feel the hate mail coming my way. The “you have to live” talks. The “you’re missing out on the best times of your life” talks.

That’s OK, though. I like those talks. In fact, I love those talks. Each time someone tells me, “You have to live,” it reassures me that I am living like no one else now, such that I can live and give like no one else later.

A couple of years ago, my buddy Scott Trench posted an article about a few seemingly harmless habits that many Americans have. Because I 100 percent agree with Scott—and because I’m a numbers guy—I have taken many of his harmless habits and done my best to attribute a dollar value to show the impact of each of these activities. Think of the dollar values below as a unit of comparison; the actual amount may be more or less for you.

Before we get started, let me preface with a disclaimer that I am no angel. I take part in almost all of these activities and don’t expect you to cut them out of your life either. However, I am keenly aware of the impact of these activities and practice them significantly less than the average American.

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