According to a new survey from Gallup, Americans are generally spending more money on a daily basis.

In December, self-reported daily spending averaged $76, up from $71 in November. It was the highest monthly average in 2011.

“Retailers -- and all Americans who root for a strong economy -- may have found some encouragement in the various 2011 holiday sales reports suggesting there was a strong start to the holiday shopping season after Thanksgiving, and then another surge in spending right before Christmas,” wrote Gallup.

Daily spending throughout 2011 averaged $67, up from $65 in 2010 and $64 in 2009.

Average spending in all three years was well below the $96 of 2008.

“Americans' self-reported spending plummeted in January 2009 after the start of the global financial crisis in October 2008, and has not yet rebounded,” added Gallup.

The results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking Dec. 1-29, 2011, with a random sample of 12,924 adults.