COMMUTERS-SPENDING-CU

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.