Consumer Financial Balances
Versus Propensity to Spend

(2,014 telephone interviews conducted at the rate of approximately
503 a month in the four months ending September 2009)

Consumer Balance Index (CBI)
Strongest Next Strongest Middle Strongest Next Weakest Weakest
Consumer Balance Index (CBI) 163 109 73 36 18
Consumer willingness to spend freely
for consumables Index
100 90 70 59 45
Percent Spending Freely on...
Clothing % 49 40 29 22 15
Food % 52 54 36 27 20
Gas % 57 47 38 32 23
Medical Expenses % 82 75 66 62 52
Major Goods active shopping Index 151 127 93 74 56
Percent Actively Shopping for...
New Car % 14 9 5 2 2
Used Car % 16 7 8 6 4
House % 9 5 4 4 1
Furniture % 16 14 9 6 4
Personal Computers % 12 10 9 7 4
Major Appliances % 11 10 9 6 4
New Carpeting % 5 4 2 2 2
Color TV % 12 8 6 4 3
Air Travel % 21 25 17 17 14
Overnight Hotel/Motel % 25 28 19 16 15

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