CONSUMER'S SURPLUS, in economics, the excess which the purchaser of an article would be willing to pay over the price which he actually pays rather than go without it. Thus, "con sumer's surplus" is an economic expression of the surplus satis faction which a bargain yields to the purchaser. In the case of a good bargain there is a big consumer's surplus, as when a woman buys at a low price a fine dress for which she would will ingly pay much more. For many articles consumers would gladly give higher prices rather than go without them. The news of the day, well printed for a penny, is a case in point ; probably a few would give five shillings, many would give sixpence, and tens if not hundreds of thousands would give twopence, rather than go without a newspaper. Here is a very clear case of consumer's sur plus. The intelligent consumer strives so to apportion his expendi tures as to make his total consumer's surplus a maximum. (See EcoNomics.)