Worrying about debt costs you an average of three and a half hours a day

Americans in debt are worried. And not just a little worried, but a lot of worried. In fact, they're spending 3.5 hours a day worrying about their financial troubles.

While it isn't surprising to find that debt and concern go hand-in-hand, the number of hours the average in-debt American is actually spending worrying about their financial woes is compelling. Thanks to a survey sponsored by DebtPlan.com, an online paid membership service (seven day trial period, then $14.95 a month) that's designed to help people pay down their debts, now we can see just how much time we waste worrying about money. The survey, released in June, was conducted by Survey Sampling International.

As someone who spent much of his 20s worried about money -- and most of his 30s panicked and consumed by debt -- I have to admit I found the results of the survey pretty interesting.

The survey interviewed 1,000 people, ranging in age from 18 to over 55. Assuming that's representative of American society in general, then 45% of all Americans consider themselves in debt. Of that number, 25% spend practically no time worrying about their debts, which probably means they either must feel like it's under control ... or they're deadbeats.