The urge to splurge

So you have a buck or two to spare after meeting your living expenses. You could take a flutter on the stockmarket, maybe pay off your credit card outstandings. Or you could even ""gasp ""invest in a retirement fund. No, that's too extreme. I guess you'll just bank it "" like always.

That's the Indian consumer for you. In the last round, India was ahead of the Asia Pacific region when it came to spending on new clothes and home improvement and investing in the stockmarket.

This time, Indians are playing it safe. Sure, next to the savings account (56 per cent), stocks and shares are still the most popular choice (40 per cent), but the interest has waned since the last round. Meanwhile, Taiwan's moved to the top slot with 42 per cent.

Across the world, the savings account is the first choice (40 per cent globally, 49 per cent Apac). But holidays are clearly next in priority.

More than 36 per cent of Asians are in favour of spending on a quick getaway "" leading the pack is Thailand, where 58 per cent say they would use any spare cash to head off on holiday. That's just a point below Norway, the world leader. The figure for India? Thirty per cent, a drop from November 2005's 37 per cent.

Where are consumers heading for the nightclubs? Out-of-home entertainment has 30 per cent takers in India and 38 per cent in the region. But it is the biggest drain on Europeans's spare cash, with 54 per cent Russians and 49 per cent Germans choosing this way to spend their extra money. Vietnam (54 per cent) and Hong Kong (43 per cent) are the only two Asian markets that appear on the global top 10 for this option.

Meanwhile, new technology seems to be losing its charm for buyers across the world: less than a quarter choose to spend money on gizmos and gadgets.

The numbers are similar for India and the Apac region as well. About 29 per cent of Apac respondents spend extra cash on new technology, compared to 27 per cent in India. Perhaps Vietnam, the world leader in this category with 58 per cent positive responses, is pulling up the average.