Average spent per household on Apple gadgets soars, report says

Want to know why your wallet is being pinched so hard? You could turn to the usual suspects, like gas prices or government taxes.

But perhaps you should look a bit closer to home at all those shiny Apple products that line your shelves and pockets. A story from Reuters on Monday cites a report from Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty that in 2011 the “average amount U.S. households spent on Apple products was $444.”

According to the Huberty report, that number is up from $295 in 2010 and $150 in 2007.

The Reuters story by contributor Chris Taylor refers to this as the “Apple tax,” noting:

“The analogy of an Apple tax might sound facetious, but think about it. Median U.S. household income was $50,054 in 2011, according to the Census Bureau. That means a sizable chunk of that is getting diverted to Apple headquarters in Cupertino.”

Of course, there’s one big difference between a government tax and that so-called Apple “tax,” says Taylor:

“Remember, this is not something that consumers are being forced to pay. They are dipping willingly into their own pockets, because they’re essentially slaves to the devices.”

Yes, slaves. Of course, there’s bad news on the horizon for the Apple Zombie Nation that can’t stop itself from buying the company’s toys: Apple TV.

Because if that mythical Apple TV should arrive next year, nothing will stop us from shelling out $888 per household on Apple products, according to projections by Huberty.

Also:

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