Consumers feel finances slide but hold hope for future

Consumers are more pessimistic about their finances than a year ago, a new survey shows. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

Australians are feeling increasingly pessimistic about their household finances even as signs suggest the economy is set to improve.

Consumer confidence slipped in the latest survey from Westpac and the Melbourne Institute, with sentiment declining 0.7 per cent from December.