MUMBAI: While economists are saying the economic tide is turning, people are still not willing to open their wallets and spend money. Two-thirds of Americans (67 per cent) say they will decrease spending on entertainment and eating out at restaurants.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,334 adults surveyed online between 8 – 15 September, 2009 by Harris Interactive.
Half of Americans (50 per cent) say they will be saving or investing more money in the next six months, slightly down from 53 per cent who said so in May of this year. In terms of general spending, just one-quarter of US adults (25 per cent) say they anticipate having more money to spend the way they want, again unchanged from the beginning of summer in May when 26 per cent said so.
In May, as people were planning their summer vacations over one-third of Americans (36 per cent) said they would be taking a vacation away from home lasting longer than a week in the next six month. The end of summer tends to mean less travel and now only 28 per cent of Americans say it is likely they will take a week-long vacation in the next six months.
Almost unchanged from May, one in five Americans (19 per cent) say they will be likely to buy a new computer in the next six months compared to 21 per cent at the beginning of the summer. Also unchanged is that 7 per cent of Americans would be starting a new business in the next six months compared to 8 per cent who said so in May.
