—NUTSHELL:
Decisions you make when you buy something—whether you are a student with a small allowance or the latest winner of a big lottery—are a major force in creating new jobs.

—SNIPPET:

What do you want to do this weekend? Go to the movies or go out to dinner? Buy a new book or a new computer? Or are your funds running low? If so, will you watch TV or surf the ’Net? 

More depends on how you answer these questions than you might think. For you, the answers might mean no more than a way to spend a couple of hours with your friends. But for the U.S. economy, no questions are more important. The way you spend your money—consumer spending—determines what goods are produced, what services are performed, and, ultimately, what kinds of jobs people do.

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