While Washington rages over how to deal with the deficit, American households have rolled up their sleeves and stopped their spending spree. Consumers now owe 15 percent less in credit-card debt and 7 percent less mortgage debt than they did in 2008, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. What's more, the savings rate is three times higher than it was from 2007 to 2009. Both are good omens for economic recovery, economists say. The bad news? Debt is still higher, and savings lower, than historical norms. Maybe you should eat in tonight.
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