Consumer optimism seen with January rise in spending

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Perhaps the lessons of the Great Recession are not so deep-seated after all.

Consumers spent more and saved less in January, according to government data released Monday, a sign that Americans feel increasingly secure about their financial situation, economists said. The growth in spending and the decline in savings were, respectively, more and less than analysts had predicted — adding weight to a growing consensus that consumers’ newfound frugality was just a fling.

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