Kate Davidson of the Wall Street Journal reports that:
U.S. consumer spending fell in January, a sign of caution among American households despite lower gasoline prices and steady hiring. Personal spending, which measures outlays for everything from washing machines to manicures, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.2% from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Monday. December spending was unchanged from the initially estimated 0.3% decline.
Cheaper gasoline figures in this but still … in a truly robust recovery, would consumers be holding back?
Not when, as a recent Fox telephone survey showed:
... 65 percent in America see the nation as still in a recession.
And:
Only about half, 49 percent, say they are “just able to pay most bills.”
And:
...fully 18 percent are outright “falling behind” on debt.