Waste of the Day: Christmas Arrives in September for Federal Buildings

Topline: The General Services Administration had its third-most expensive month ever for outside purchases this September, with $4.5 billion spent on items like footrests, deodorant and much more.

Excessive spending on federal buildings with hundreds of thousands of invoices

Key facts: The GSA manages transportation and supplies for nearly 8,400 federal buildings around the country, which will be well-stocked after the latest spending spree. 

The average GSA purchase in September cost just under $33,000, but the spending quickly added up once over 143,000 invoices were approved. The agency spent $849.3 million on Sept. 29 and 30 alone, the last two days of fiscal year 2025.

Officials spent $236,171 on flashlights and $324,622 on calendars this September. Another $216,621 was spent on wristwatches and stopwatches.

YETI brand backpacks, which retail for $150 to $300 each, cost the GSA $86,287. Footrests might also be considered something of an extravagance, but the GSA bought them 161 times for $41,198. Deodorant and air freshener cost $38,787. 

Computer equipment and repair services was the most expensive category of payments at $1.3 billion. The agency also spent $303.8 million on vehicles, including $184.3 million on SUVs.

Most of the purchases came from American companies, but the GSA did buy $8.5 million worth of goods from Germany, Japan, Canada and Gibraltar. 

Search all federal, state and local salaries and vendor spending with the world’s largest government spending database at OpenTheBooks.com.

Use it or lose it

Background: It’s normal for federal spending to spike in September as agencies try to exhaust their budgets before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. “Use-it-or-lose-it” funding rules mean that agencies that don’t use their full budgets may receive reduced appropriations from Congress, incentivizing wasteful spending just to get money out the door. 

But the GSA’s spending sprees are especially noticeable. Every September since 2022, the agency has spent at least $4.4 billion on grants and contracts, including a record $5.7 billion last year. Besides September, the GSA has never spent more than $3 billion in a single month.

The Department of Defense is also guilty. In September 2024, the DOD spent $79.1 billion on grants and contracts. Only 11 other countries typically spend that much on their military in an entire year. Military spending data from September 2025 is not yet available. 

Summary: It’s important that federal buildings have the supplies they need, but the GSA’s annual rush to use its funding before September ends indicates the agency’s budget may be higher than necessary.

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This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.