5 Spring Spending Splurges To Avoid

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Just because you're ready to come out of hibernation this spring doesn't mean your spending money has to go with you.

There were a lot of items worth buying in the first quarter, but the sun's return and rising temperatures won't shoo away the dark clouds hovering over certain items and services this spring.

The Consumer Confidence Index dropped by 8.6 points in March -- the first drop in five months -- while the Thompson Reuters Consumer Sentiment Index went along for the ride with a 12.9% month-to-month drop and a 8.3% dive from a year ago. Meanwhile average gas prices rose to roughly $3.68 per gallon, or 86 cents more than the cost of that same gallon at this time last year. Various global and political crises are weighing on the consumer, who's in no mood to go springing into fair-weather splurges.

There'll be no shortage of well priced items to buy during the next three months -- cruises and cookware in April, vacuum cleaners and patio furniture in May, gym memberships and dishes in June -- but the five items listed below aren't among them.

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