Daily Self Spending Increased In March

Americans' daily self-reports of spending increased $5 to an average of $89 in March. March daily spending was only slightly lower in 2014 and 2015, when it averaged $87 and $86, respectively. Since 2008, averages for March have generally bested averages for January and February, and have usually increased again at some point in the spring -- with the exception of 2012 and 2013.

For each of the past six years, the spending average for March has been a rough bellwether for that year's spending, coming within $3 of the annual average. The months of April, June and October have come within this same range of the yearly averages since 2010. This did not hold true in March 2008 and March 2009, however -- years in which the recession and the financial crisis dealt their immediate blows.