Live Small and Prosper: 6 in 10 cutting back

I recently read that 6 in 10 American families say they plan to spend less this year than last - or nothing at all - on back-to-school shopping.

What I didn’t read in the RBC Consumer Outlook Index was what the 6 in 10 families thought about their own austerity measure.

For example:

Is it a bad thing?

Is it, hopefully, a temporary measure?


Is it out of absolute necessity?

Is it a good thing?

Is it a new approach toward excessive consumerism?

Is it one way to cut back so that savings can grow or debts can be reduced?

My thoughts: A gradual retreat from excessive consumption benefits our overdrawn bank and environmental accounts.

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Is there one thing you’ve cut back on recently?

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