American's Daily Self-Spending Shows Strength

In April, Americans' daily self-reports of spending averaged $95, up significantly from $89 in March. The latest spending figure represents the highest average for the month of April in Gallup's nine-year trend.

The $6 increase in daily spending in April is on the high side for changes in April over March. Since the recession, April spending has increased by nearly this much -- $5 -- only once, in 2015, whereas in all other years since 2010, April spending was roughly the same as in March.

More broadly, spending averages have increased quite a bit since the recession and immediate post-recession years of 2009 to 2011, when monthly figures dipped as low as $58. They began to climb over the course of 2012 and 2013, and have since held at those higher levels.

Federal statistics reveal a sluggish start for consumer spending in the year's first quarter. But April could be the turning of a corner for spending, with a relatively strong pickup from March's average. April's spending average is one of the strongest monthly figures in nearly a decade, and could bode well for Americans' spending in the second quarter.