Consumer spending went up 0.4 percent last month, the biggest increase in three months, the Commerce Department reported recently.

The 0.4 percent increase in consumer spending in October was the largest since a 1.1 percent jump in July. Orders for durable goods -- costly manufactured items intended to last three years or more -- rose 2.8 percent in October, the Commerce Department said, marking the first rise since July following a revised drop of 4.6 percent the previous month.