Household saving rate of an average employee in metro cities in the country has come down by 45 per cent in last six years due to an exorbitant increase in prices of essential commodities, fuel and education. According to a survey done by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry- ASSOCHAM, the salary of common man has gone up by 30 per cent but the discretionary spending has shrunk by 35 per cent in last six years. About 70 per cent of the respondents participated in the survey said that the salary hike is not in sync with the cost of living. Meanwhile, Reserve Bank of India will announce its annual credit policy for 2011-12 tomorrow. In its last review of the credit policy for 2010-11 in March this year, the RBI raised the key policy rates by 25 basis points. The short-term lending (repo) rate was hiked to 6.75 per cent and the short-term borrowing (reverse repo) rate to 5.75 per cent. This was the eighth rate hike in a row since March last year to cool inflationary pressure.