Still, consumers don't feel like we're in a booming economy. "I feel like I'm always holding my breath a little bit waiting to see what's going to happen," Olivia Thomas, an education professional in New Jersey, tells CNBC Make It. As people like Thomas take a look at their personal situations and the broader economy, some are making adjustments. Consumer spending has begun to taper off, according to data from the new CNBC and National Retail Federation retail monitor. That, along with a number of increasingly precarious geopolitical situations and continued tension within domestic politics, has consumers wary of the economy.

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Persons: Olivia Thomas, Thomas, Janet Yellen, CNBC's, Peter Hughes, haven't, Hughes Organizations: CNBC, National Retail Federation, Evolve Locations: New Jersey, Plenty, Federal, New York, California