Commuters spend less on food and recreation, survey finds

Almost half of Americans who drive to work are spending less on dining out, going to the movies or buying clothes because of higher gasoline costs, according to a survey by CareerBuilder, the largest U.S. jobs website.

Among the 47% who said they’ve sacrificed something for higher gasoline costs, 35% are eating out less, while 31% have cut back on entertainment, said Chicago-based CareerBuilder, citing a survey of 8,700 workers completed in June. Of more than 8,700 workers queried overall, 89% said they drive to work.

Twenty-seven percent of those who have cut back said they’re buying cheaper groceries, and 24% reported shopping less for clothing. Twenty-one percent skipped vacation, while 11% canceled services such as cable television or magazine subscriptions.

The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive from May 22 through June 13. The survey had a sampling error of plus or minus 1.05 percentage points.

CareerBuilder is jointly owed by Gannett Co.; Tribune Co., publisher of the Los Angeles Times; McClatchy Co.; and software maker Microsoft Corp.