â–¶ Consumers Cut Back: A recent Harris Interactive Poll of 3,084 adults finds that over the past six months, 62% of U.S. adults have purchased more generic brands and 45% are brown-bagging lunch instead of purchasing it. A number of Americans have cut back in other small ways to save money, says the report. They include:
• 37% of Americans are going to the hairstylist or barber less often.
• 27% of adults have canceled one or more magazine subscriptions while 17% have canceled a newspaper subscription.
• 22% of Americans have stopped purchasing coffee in the morning, 21% have cut down on dry cleaning and 14% have begun carpooling or using mass transit.
• 22% of U.S. adults have canceled or cut back on cable TV service, and 17% have changed or canceled cell phone service or canceled their landline service and are only using cell phones.
Source: Harris Interactive