You’re spending, but cautiously.

Nearly half of you are confident the economy will get better. And worse. And better.

And Target was the clear “L-A, please, now” favorite.

Over 10 days in November, 223 people responded to the 2008 Sun Journal retail survey.

Asked for their spending mood this year, 40 percent thought “happy restraint” described it best. Fewer than 12 percent went for “glum.”

“For whatever reason, this economic crunch has spared us … for now. We are in a position that we are still comfortable, though we may not be squirreling away as much as we might like,” wrote one reader.

Portland and South Portland were favorite places to shop outside of Lewiston-Auburn.

Asked to name up to three stores they still want locally, Target was the runaway favorite with 46 votes. It got three times the votes of Olive Garden.

“Does Steve & Barry’s count? I want them back already,” wrote another reader.

When asked who to remove from the retail scene, if forced? It was no landslide. Many left the question blank. Wal-Mart earned 19 tallies, the most of any store. A full 28 shops and restaurants garnered a single vote apiece.

“Go away! NOTHING! It’s about time one of our cities has been able to achieve economic development!” wrote Hillary Verrill of Lewiston.

As for the future, nearly half of respondents thought the wild economic roller coaster would continue into 2009.

Readers have been right before. In last year’s poll, 36 percent (the largest share) answered “Hope so, but have my doubts” when asked to predict whether the Wal-Mart Supercenter would happen at Exit 80.

Of course, they were right.