• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, January 31, 2012

According to The Harris Poll, in December 2011, for almost the first time since 2009, Americans indicate that they are making certain small changes to save money less frequently.

When asked about a list of 12 changes people could make to save money, fewer Americans say they "have done" each over the past six months than said so almost each time the questions have been asked since 2009. Fairly high numbers still report making most changes, but the overall trend appears to be inching downward. Some of the results include:

• 61% of U.S. adults say they have been purchasing more generic brands over the past six months which is down from the 67% who said so in June 2011
• 42% now say they are brown bagging lunch, which is a drop from the 45%-48% who reported this each time the question has been asked since June 2009
• 31% of Americans report switching to refillable water bottles rather than purchasing bottles of water, and 17% report stopping purchasing coffee in the morning, the lowest levels seen since October 2009;
• In terms of media consumption, 26% of Americans report cancelling one or more magazine subscription, 21% cancelling or cutting back on cable television service, and 15% cancelling a newspaper subscription, the fewest number of Americans in 26 months, since October 2009
• While fewer Americans overall are, or have been, cancelling or changing their phone service (landline or mobile) to save money, still 14% report both landline cancelling and cell phone changing or cancelling, which is equal to or lower than the lowest percentages seen since early 2010
• 37% of Americans are still cutting back on going to the hairdresser, barber or stylist, and 19% are cutting down on their dry cleaning. Both numbers are similar or lower than the numbers reported over the last two years

These results may indicate one of two things, concludes the report. Either Americans have made many of these changes previously, so the numbers are no longer seen as "new changes", or Americans are actually starting to spend money in some of these areas.

A recent Harris Poll on economic predictions for the New Year seems to support the latter theory, says the report, as fewer Americans report plans to cut back their household spending in 2012, then said so in years prior.

For additional information, please visit HarrisInteractive here.