Consumers still cautious on spending, report 

Irish consumers are still spending less and saving more in the last six months — despite the pick-up in the economy.

The latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker found that over the last six months, 39% of consumers have become less optimistic about their disposable household income, with just 17% indicating any confidence about their current financial situation.

While many people are starting to spend more, they are only doing so on essential items. For example, there was increased spending in the past six months on items like utility bills (45%), transport (33%), healthcare (30%), and housing (22%). However, people are spending less on non-essential items and activities like going out (39%), restaurants and hotels (39%), alcoholic beverages (35%), and clothing and footwear (33%).