Americans Cutting Back & Pinching Pennies

Americans are more worried now about job security and pay cuts so, they are naturally pinching pennies everywhere they can.

A new Harris poll released last week asked Americans how their spending habits have changed over the past six months. As an added bonus, some of the cost-cutting moves are actually good for our health (eating out less), good for the environment (not buying bottled water), and good for easing traffic jams (more carpooling).

Here are the top dozen, along with the percentages of Americans now using these techniques…

•Buy more generic brands – 67 percent
•Brown-bag lunch instead of buying it – 46 percent
•Go to the hairdresser/barber/stylist less often – 43 percent
•Use refillable water bottles instead of buying bottled water – 39 percent
•Cancel one or more magazine subscriptions – 31 percent
•Cut down on dry cleaning – 24 percent
•Cancel or cut back cable TV service – 22 percent
•Stop buying coffee in the morning – 21 percent
•Cancel a newspaper subscription – 18 percent
•Cancel land-line phone service and only use a cell phone – 16 percent
•Change a cell phone plan or cancel it – 14 percent
•Carpool or use mass transit – 14 percent

Other ways:

• Use both sides of the printer paper
• Wash out plastic bags, air dry and reuse 
• If you are eating out, pick something from th e $1 menu
• Have a meatless day
• Cancel your cable and go to Walmart to buy the gadget that gets channels for Free
• Some people, with a smart phone, are canceling their internet and getting online 
• Shop at the Dollar Store but beware, some items that look like the real deal or diluted and may not be the better buy
• Get books from the library rather than buy them
• Unplug appliances when not in use to save on your electricity costs
• Clip coupons and only save the ones you use, don't buy something you don't need because you have a coupon.
• Pack your lunch
• Shampoo your own carpets
• Add some water to your shampoo, shake it up - it will go twice as far
• Buy trimmers and trim your own dog, barter dog trimming with your neighbors
• Grow your own veggies and can or freeze them
• When you get your hair cut, go home with it wet
• Wash your own car
• Pay your bills on time and avoid late fees
• Borrow items instead of buying them

What things do you do to save money?