Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Inflation has stopped Americans from buying vehicles of all kinds — but they're still splurging on travel and good times

Inflation has stopped Americans from buying vehicles of all kinds — but they're still splurging on travel and good times

Despite US inflation at a 41-year high, people are still spending on travel-related expenses like flights and hotels.

Even though inflation is at a four-decade high, Americans are still spending big on travel and experiences.

The Consumer Price Index rose 9.1% over the year ending in June per data published this week, higher than the 8.6% over the year ending in May. The 9.1% rate — the highest since November 1981 — is affecting people's spending behavior.

Although some people are modifying how they spend their money like looking for cheaper alternatives amid high inflation, people are handing over lots of money on certain goods and services. Spending on travel and transportation has shot up this year, but on the other hand, people aren't spending as much on vehicles, consumer spending data shows.

The following chart shows the percent change from January 2022 to May 2022 in Personal Consumption Expenditures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The items and services in the chart are some of the things that have seen the largest percent increases in consumer spending during this period.


People are splurging on vacations and good times away from home despite higher prices, as travelers once again take part in "revenge travel." Expenditures on foreign travel were 68.4% higher in May than at the beginning of the year. Spending on air transportation is also almost 40% higher than in January. Additionally, people are spending more on accommodations as they buy hotel and motel rooms for their travel needs.

Monthly Personal Consumption Expenditures data is only available up until May. But with travel demand up as people vacationed for fourth of July and throughout the summer, it may be the case that travel continues to be a popular thing people dish out money on, even with the high costs consumers are facing.

Consumer spending for gas was also up in May from January, with a percent increase of 27.7% for gas and other motor fuel, mirroring skyrocketing gas prices over the last few months. However, Energy Information Administration and AAA data show gas prices have been coming down from their peak.

There are also goods and services that have seen personal spending decline from where they once were earlier in the year. As seen in the following chart, that includes various kinds of vehicles like motorcycles and new autos or light trucks.

People may not be willing to spend big on cars right now with monthly payments soaring. Data from Cox Automotive research shows the monthly payment for a car has reached a record high.


The above chart also highlights that spending is down from earlier this year for different kinds of repairs.

In general, people were spending more on services than goods in May — with spending on services rising $76.2 billion but falling $43.5 billion on goods from April according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
×