WASHINGTON -- Consumer spending was flat in February -- for the second straight month -- as war uncertainties, job worries and higher energy prices made people more tightfisted.
Spending on cars and other big-ticket items was cut sharply for the second month in a row.
The Commerce Department's report for February was actually a better showing than economists had expected. They were predicting consumers would trim spending by 0.2 percent. And, January's flat reading on spending -- based on revised figures -- also was a bit of an improvement from the government's initial estimate that consumers cut spending by a 0.1 percent during that month.