Spending more? It is possible to spend more on some thing s and less on others if you have re-prioritized your spending. Maybe you spend more on public transportation and less on gas. You may spend more time with your family at home, but you might not order out, but cook instead. When you have extra money in your budget will you change your habits?

Consumers are still trimming their discretionary spending, because there is no stability in the economy. As the economy improves, people may decide that they want to loosen their purse strings and spend more money.

“Consumers are feeling more confident and their overall expectations for the health of the economy are beginning to improve,” said Shawn DuBravac, Consumer Electronics Association’s economist and director of research. “Americans continue to worry about their own job security but are feeling more confident that the economy will improve in the coming months.”

With a secure source of income, the purse strings could loosen. If you have money and think that you will continuously have a source of income, then you will definitely want to do some spending. Economists believe that an economic rebound requires some spending. Some spending is good, but I don’t think that our country needs to spend at the same levels that we once did. 

Edward Leamer, director of UCLA’s Anderson Forecast, wrote that Americans, who were spending like drunken sailors on everything from houses to jet skis as recently as 2007, reversed themselves when the economic news became dire late last year. Personal savings went from virtually nothing in 2007 and much of 2008 to about 5 percent in January. There’s nothing wrong with saving money, and it’s a good idea for Americans to “take some safety equipment along on our journey.”

Spending did get out of hand, and money was burning a hole in many pockets and pocketbooks. Unfortunately the burns that people suffered were because they spent too freely.

When I was a kid, I would look at the McDade’s and Service Merchandise catalogs daydreaming and making believe. Some things were not practical but were interesting to imagine owning. I had an allowance, but also saw the people around me thinking about purchases and saving up for large wants, while never neglecting the needs in our family. I made some dumb choices sometimes, but that was a part of growing up. Our nation is going through a maturation period. Instead of spending recklessly, there is a pullback, at least for those who are the most affected by this economic downturn – almost everyone.