You're Not Really Shopping, It Just Seems That Way Despite the much heralded consumer spending boom, the average household still spends about as much as it did in 1987 (in 1997 dollars). It's what we're buying that's changed.
By
June 1, 1999

(MONEY Magazine) – OUT IN

-24.3% ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ENTERTAINMENT 13.8% -15.4% APPAREL AND SERVICES HEALTH CARE 14.8% -23.9% CAR AND TRUCK VEHICLE RENTAL, LEASES PURCHASES, NEW LICENSES 121.6% -18.3% READING MATERIALS EDUCATION 19.9% -7.3% FOOD SHELTER 8.1% -5.6% HOUSEKEEPING SUPPLIES HOUSEHOLD SERVICES 4.5%

Statistics reprinted from American Demographics magazine, April 1999. Copyright 1999. Courtesy of Intertec Publishing Corp., Stamford, Conn. All rights reserved.