NEW YORK (MainStreet) — In an effort to cut costs in the face of a tough economy, consumers are trying everything from purchasing fewer name brand medicines to cutting back on their morning coffee, one new survey shows. Two-thirds of Americans confessed they purchased more generic drugs this year to pinch pennies, according to a survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted by Harris Interactive, up from 62% who said they did so in an identical survey from June 2009. Likewise, 43% said they had opted to visit their hairstylist or barber less often during that time, compared to about a third who admitted doing that two years ago. The list of everyday cutbacks doesn’t end there. Nearly a third of Americans have canceled one or more magazine subscriptions, 24% have cut back on dry cleaning and 14% have opted to carpool or take mass transit to reduce their commuting costs, each of which represents an increase in the percentage of consumers who took these steps two years prior. Even little luxuries are being rationed by ordinary consumers. Roughly a fifth of those surveyed said they no longer purchase coffee in the morning, up from 15% who took that step in 2009, and 39% have opted to refill old water bottles rather than purchasing new ones, compared to 33% who did so two years ago. As Harris notes in its report, these steps may lead to modest improvements to consumers’ bank statements at the end of the month, but there is a downside for the country as a whole. “While making more careful spending decisions may be good for a household budget, continual cutting back doesn’t do much to help the overall economy grow,” according to Harris. “It seems a balance will need to be reached to make Americans feel secure in their own household’s finances as well as comfortable enough spending to allow the country’s economy to grow once again.” Until that balance is reached though, it looks like America is going to be a land of bagged lunches and coffee-deprived workers.
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