text: Consumer Spending Up 0.8 Percent in July WASHINGTON - After taking a rest in June, the nation's consumers were full of energy last month, boosting their spending by a strong 0.8 percent, a hopeful sign the economy may be emerging from a summer funk.    The over-the-month increase in consumer spending, reported by the Commerce Department on Monday, marked a turnaround from the 0.2 percent decline registered in June, when high energy prices and a sluggish job market made for more cautious buyers...