The Bureau of Economic Analysis has released data on personal consumption expenditures--what Americans spend on goods and services--over the last year. While Americans increased their consumption from December to January, the overall trend of the last year was to spend less. A lot less. In looking at the specific areas of spending from January 2008 to January 2009, Michael Mandel , chief economist for Business Week, was surprised by the second leading category: In real terms, Americans are spending $164 billion less (in 2007 dollars) in January 2009 compared to January 2008. Out of that, $112 billion is user-operated transportation--purchases of cars and trucks, and spending on gas and oil. But another $56 billion of decline came from food! That is to say, adjusted for inflation, real personal consumption of food fell by $56 billion. That's the second largest contributor to the decline in personal consumption. Number 3, clothing, was only $18 billion down. Mandel goes on to speculate that the rise in the cost of food last year helps explain why Americans are cutting back there, and that , perhaps, the "incessant public drumbeating about 'fat Americans'" has some effect. Read Mandel's full post here . We want your stories. Odds are you are spending less. So here are three questions: 1) Where are you cutting back (what goods or services are you spending less on)? 2) What was the event or piece of news that prompted you to cut spending? 3) Why did you decide to cut back where you did? Click on comments at the top of the post and share your answers.