Americans still prefer saving in wake of Great Recession

May 12 (UPI) -- While most economic indicators show the U.S. economy has fully rebounded from the 2008 recession, the psychological impact on financially stressed Americans remains, with almost twice as many saying they enjoy saving more than spending.

According to a new Gallup survey, among Americans who say they worry about paying normal bills, 63 percent say they enjoy saving any extra money. Among the same group, 35 percent said they enjoy spending extra cash.

In 2005 and 2006, prior to the economic downturn, that number was evenly split: 50 percent said they would rather spend, while 46 percent said they enjoyed saving money.

The saving trend increased among those who said they live a financially comfortable life, as well. The percentage of financially independent Americans who prefer saving to spending grew by 9 percentage points since the Great Recession.

The Gallup survey was completed April 5-9. It polled 1,019 adults and carries a margin of error of 4 percentage points.