Economic Worries Feed a Growing Population of Penny Pinchers
A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that just 11% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country today. That’s the lowest level ever recorded by a Poll research survey. (One has to wonder how even 11% of those surveyed could be happy with the current state of affairs, unless, say, you’re a blissfully unaware preschooler or billionaire.)
More consumers are taking concrete steps to rein in their spending, according to the October 9-12 poll, compared to just a few weeks earlier in September. More people are now saying that recent economic events have caused them to scale back vacation plans (59%), eat out less often (55%), postpone major purchases (39%), delay home buying or home improvements (38%) and defer new car purchases (36%). This trend has retailers, car dealers and restaurateurs in an absolute tizzy, so expect to see continued deep discounts in everything from Christmas toys to SUVs.
And for the first time in a Pew survey, more people say that Americans should learn to live with less (49%) than those who say, “There are no limits to growth in this country” (41%).
There’s pretty broad agreement about how we got into this mess, with a majority of those polled blaming people who took on too much debt (79%) or banks making risky loans (72%). Far fewer point the finger at weak government regulations (46%), a complicated financial system (36%) or growing global financial ties (35%).
Has the nation’s economic crisis forced you to change your spending habits?
