Michiganders unsure that added income translates to consumerism

Thanks to payroll tax cuts and a slowly improving economy, Michigan residents have more money in their pockets these days. However, that does not mean they are ready to return to their previous spending ways, The Detroit News reports. Still guarding their personal finances and consumer credit reports, local residents appear willing to spend with the money they have, rather than rely on potential income increases to expand their consumerism. However, residents are not so quick to take advantage of that growth. "A couple bucks every week - you're not going to see a difference," Dianne Gerdeman, a resident of Macomb Township, told the News. "Knowing that my husband's job (with one of the Big Three automakers) is stable is enough to help me continue spending." According to AllBusiness.com, American household wealth reached $53.5 trillion in September 2010, up from the floor of approximately $48 trillion in Q1 2009, but still below the roughly pre-recession high of $65 trillion. While consumer spending rose another 0.7 percent at the annual rate in December, many consumers, especially in areas of high unemployment, may still sit on their wallets.