Careful Spending Habits
The recession may be over, but new spending habits appear to be here to stay, according to a survey by BIGinsight, which ranked 36 products from most to least expendable. More than 75% of respondents rated 22 of the items as expendable while only Internet, mobile phone service and cable or satellite TV won “must have” ratings from more than half of those surveyed.
| Most Expendable: | |||
| 2011 | 2008 | ||
| 1. Luxury handbag | 93% | 1. Luxury handbag | 92% |
| 2. Maid service | 93% | 2. Satellite radio | 91% |
| 3. High-end cosmetics | 92% | 3. Specialty apparel | 91% |
| 4. Club/social memberships | 92% | 4. High-end cosmetics | 91% |
| 5. High-end jewelry | 92% | 5. Maid service | 90% |
| 6. Facial | 91% | 6. Facial | 90% |
| 7. Satellite radio | 91% | 7. Fine dining | 89% |
| 8. Gourmet foods | 90% | 8. Manicure/pedicure | 88% |
| 9. Manicure/pedicure | 90% | 9. Upgraded cell phone | 88% |
| I0. Specialty apparel | 90% | 10. Club/social membership | 87% |
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| Most Untouchable: | |||
| 2011 | 2008 | ||
| 1. Internet service | 82% | 1. Internet service | 81% |
| 2. Basic mobile/cell service | 67% | 2. Basic mobile/cell service | 64% |
| 3. Bask cable/satellite TV | 60% | 3. Basic cable/satellite TV | 61% |
| 4. Discount apparel | 53% | 4. Discount apparel | 43% |
| 5. Charitable contributions | 41% | 5. Hair cut/color | 40% |
| 6. Hair cut/color | 37% | 6. Fast food restaurant | 37% |
| 7. Fast food restaurant | 36% | 7. Casual sit-down restaurant | 33% |
| 8. Enhanced mobile/cell service | 33% | 8. Charitable contributions | 32% |
| 9. Casual sit-down dining | 31% | 9. Vacation | 30% |
| 10. Vacation | 29% | 10. Fast-casual restaurants | 26% |
| Top 5 Areas Where Cuts Are Made: | |
| Fine dining | 64% |
| Movie theater | 58% |
| Vacation | 57% |
| New jeans | 54% |
| Fast-casual restaurants | 52% |
