Consumers boosted their spending only modestly in August, the latest sign of the U.S. economy struggling to gain steam as worries about government policies cloud the outlook.</br></br>Personal consumption, a broad measure of spending on everything from refrigerators to health care, rose 0.3% in August from a month earlier, the Commerce Department said Friday. Adjusted for inflation, spending climbed 0.2%.</br></br>The gains, while a slight pickup from July, showed consumers maintaining a relatively cautious stance as they moved into the fall. That could diminish hopes for a pickup in economic growth in the second half of the year.</br></br>Many economists say household spending is likely to slow if Washington's budget battles spook consumers, businesses and investors.</br></br>Consumer confidence already appears to have taken a hit after climbing into the summer: The University of Michigan reported Friday that its latest gauge of consumer sentiment fell to a five-month low.