U.S. consumer spending rose as expected in February for a fifth straight month, while stagnant incomes pushed savings to their lowest level since October 2008, Reuters reported today after the release of U.S. Commerce Department data.

The Commerce Department said spending increased 0.3 percent after rising by a downwardly revised 0.4 percent in January. Consumer spending in January was previously reported to have increased 0.5 percent.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected consumer spending, which normally accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, to increase 0.3 percent last month.

“I guess the big takeaway is that consumers are comfortably consuming again. We have positive numbers five months in a row since October, which I guess is a good sign,” said Chris Low, chief economist at FTN Financial in New York.

Spending adjusted for inflation rose 0.3 percent last month, following a 0.2 percent increase in January.

Personal income was flat following January’s 0.3 percent rise, where markets had expected incomes to edge up 0.1 percent.

Payrolls of goods-producing industries fell $3.5 billion in February after increasing $5.2 billion, while manufacturing slipped $1.4 billion following a $5 billion gain.

This probably reflected the winter storms that struck parts of the country and kept some hourly paid workers at home.