In “Frugal forever? » Kimberly Palmer reports that due to changes in the economy, many American consumers are becoming more conscious of their spending habits. As a result, more and more people are changing the way they manage their finances. A recent survey found that more than half of American consumers are not spending as much as they were a year ago (Palmer 56). “The consumer has fundamentally changed,” says Margot Bogue, associate brand director at the advertising company Cramer-Krasselt (Palmer 56). The majority of American consumers have and will continue to change their spending habits to ultimately become debt free. First, before considering anything else, people need to learn how to manage their spending. To do this, I have found that making a list of all necessary expenses such as gas and electricity, telephone and other expenses is extremely helpful. Once this is accomplished, the next step is to prioritize and then execute an action plan. For example, I would pay all utilities first. I would then like...