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See How the 2016 Campaigns Are Spending Their Money

Rand Paul speaks at an event in Greenville, S.C. on Sept. 18, 2015, Ben Carson speaks at a press conference in Sharonville, Ohio on Sept. 22, 2015 and Bernie Sanders speaks during a fundraiser in Los Angeles on Oct. 14, 2015.
Getty Images
ByBY MADISON JAROS and ALANA ABRAMSON
October 16, 2015, 9:34 PM

— -- Dunkin' Donuts, Uber, Guitar Center and even family members.

We now know which candidates are flush with cash -- Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz -- and which candidates are lagging behind -- Rand Paul, Bobby Jindal and George Pataki.

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Now here's a taste of some of the items they've been spending the dough on:

Candidates spend big bucks on campaign gear.

Although Bernie Sanders spent over $4,000 this quarter with Airbnb, his largest expenditure was the $3 million dollars he spent on campaign paraphernalia. This made the $500,000 Donald Trump spent on shirts and -- you guessed it -- hats look like chump change.

Uber seems to be the transportation mode of choice.

This quarter, candidates were big fans of the transportation company Uber. Jeb Bush was the company’s biggest user, though, spending a whopping $7,040.50 on rides. Hillary Clinton spent more than $800 on rides with the company, while Ted Cruz and Martin O'Malley spent $2,000 and $3,000 respectively. Marco Rubio’s campaign took more than 300 UberX rides, and his records showed his campaign paid more than $5,000 to Uber and Uber technologies. But not all candidates were fans. Mike Huckabee only spent a little over $200 on Uber this quarter, instead choosing to drop $2,374.80 on a limousine company.

Having your father run for President can pay off -- literally.

Scott Walker’s sons Alex and Matt were on his campaign payroll -- they were paid almost $5,000 each. Mike Huckabee’s campaign also paid his son almost $3,000 this quarter. Walker dropped out of the race in September.

Fast food is key on the campaign trail.

Candidates wooed donors at plenty of fancy restaurants this quarter, but when they were on the campaign trail, fast food was a major dining choice. Walker spent more than $500 at Dunkin' Donuts and nearly $600 at Subway this quarter. Meanwhile, Cruz’s campaign spent more than $212 at McDonald's, and Marco Rubio’s bought $1,000 worth of Chick-Fil-A.

Marco Rubio has been pinching pennies.

To save money, Rubio’s campaign filled its offices with furniture from Craigslist, traveled by Uber and on airlines like Southwest and Spirit this quarter. But it’s all been paying off. Even though Rubio only raised $5.7 million this quarter, his thrifty spending habits have left him with more cash on hand than Jeb Bush, who raised more than twice that.

Ben Carson is spending money to make money.

Carson dropped big dollars on grassroots outreach this quarter, spending over a million dollars on “fundraising phone calls” and a whopping $2.5 million on printing and postage. But his old-school fundraising tactics are working: he topped the GOP field with more than $20 million raised over the summer.

Sometimes campaign spending can get weird.

It isn’t always about mailing costs and event logistics draining the candidates’ bank accounts. Rand Paul spent almost $500 at instrument superstore Guitar Center. Ben Carson spent $250 on Crossfit. And Bernie Sanders spent almost $600 at Mattress Center.

Fundraising figures include both primary and general election funds.

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