Each regional Bell spends more than $2 billion annually on equipment and related purchases, like computer software.

He said he had expected to spend about that much and had spent more on single purchases of paintings.

People under 35 typically save less because they are spending their money on big purchases - houses, cars, furniture.

Q. Are people choosing to spend money on vacations rather than other purchases?

Fifty-nine percent of that group said they planned to spend their checks on everyday purchases or to pay bills.

The indictment charged that in the same period, they spent more than $750,000 on personal purchases and private school for their children.

By all indications, last year Treasury spent approximately 34 percent of its $2.2 billion contracting budget on purchases that support small businesses.

Nearly $2 billion annually is spent on retail purchases in the city.

The company said last week that it had spent $100 million from June 21 to July 15 on such purchases.

And that $60 is money that consumers can spend on other purchases.