US consumers are planning to cut back on spending:
The proportion of consumers planning to spend more on restaurants, bars, and take out over the next 6 months fell -2 percentage points in August, to ~24.5%, the 2nd-lowest since September 2025.
US consumers expecting to spend more on health care services fell -3 percentage points in August, to ~19.5%, the lowest since September 2025.
This also marks the steepest monthly decline among the top 5 categories tracked by the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Survey.
At the same time, just ~21.5% of consumers now expect to spend more on beauty and personal care, down -1 percentage point from July and the lowest level since November 2025.
Furthermore, ~22.0% of consumers expect to spend more on streaming, internet, and mobile services, down -1 percentage point from the prior month, the 2nd-lowest since November 2025.
Consumers are pulling back on spending plans.