US Consumer Spending Stable In September, Averaged $88 Daily, Poll Finds

United States consumer spending has essentially settled in around $90 per day, according to daily self-reports collected by Gallup. People in the U.S. spent an average of $88 daily in September 2015, Gallup found.

American consumers spent an average $89 per day in August, a figure just about the same to September. Spending has hovered around $90 since April. Year-to-year, spending in September was relatively similar, as well, with consumers spending an average $87 in September 2014. But on the whole, United States consumers have appeared to grow more confident in recent years, as September spending never eclipsed $85 from 2009-2013.

Average spending is up from 2013 onward, compared with 2009-2012. Gallup began tracking daily spending in 2008, with pre-recession figures hitting an all-time high of more than $110 per day.

Gallup's consumer spending figure, "tracks daily the average dollar amount Americans report spending or charging on a daily basis, not counting the purchase of a home, motor vehicle, or normal household bills," according to the organization.

There has been no consistent trend for spending between September and October, but Gallup predicted it was likely to remain around the same $90 range. A September jobs report released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that fell short of expectations could, perhaps, Gallup suggested have a negative effect on October spending.

U.S. employers added 142,000 jobs in September with unemployment holding steady at 5.1 percent. The report was forecast to show employers adding 203,000 jobs. But by November the daily reports figure will be expected to rise as the holiday season triggers a significant uptick in spending.

And across the board, Gallup has found that people in the United States are feeling more positive about their financial situation. Fifty percent of the population said they are feeling better about their finances, a poll released in October found.

The daily reports for the September spending figure are based on telephone interviews conducted Sept. 1-30, 2015, of adults aged 18 or older. The margin of error is plus or minus $4.