American's Daily Self-Spending Similar To December Last Year

Americans' daily self-reports of spending averaged $99 in December, which is similar to the $98 average in December 2014. Along with the $96 average in December 2013, those are the highest averages for that month in Gallup's eight-year trend. December spending is usually the highest of any month each year, although the highest estimate for any month in Gallup's trend is $114 from May 2008.

Monthly spending averages in 2015 hovered near $90 for most of the year, with January ($81) and February ($82) significantly lower and December ($99) significantly higher than the other months. The average across all months in 2015 -- $89 -- is essentially the same as the 2014 annual average of $90, but much higher than averages of between $64 and $72 from 2009 to 2012.