Up until recently, many Americans lived well beyond their means, despite having large debts and no savings.

Aside from the fact that nearly everyone had ample access to credit, one factor that motivated people to carry on in spite of their circumstances was a kind of shopping compulsion, even for things they didn't really want or need.

There were a number of reasons for this. Many were blindly trying to keep up with the Joneses. Others were attempting to fill an inner void. Some were probably brain-washed by the media and corporate America to act this way.

While changing circumstances have forced millions to cut back on spending, reports reveal that a growing number of Americans are willingingly adjusting their behavior. In "Teens Turn to Thrift as Being Frugal Becomes Cool," the Associated Press profiles a surprising group of consumer turncoats.

The souring job market and rising costs of the usual teenage indulgences - a slice of pizza, a drive to the mall, the hottest new jeans - are causing teens to do something they rarely do: be thrifty.

It's a far cry from the freewheeling spending of recent years, when teens splurged on $100 Coach wristlet handbags, $60 Juicy Couture T-shirts and $80 skinny jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch.

Now jobs for teens are less plentiful, and parents who supply the allowances are feeling the economic pinch themselves.

The stalwart retailers of teen apparel, such as Abercrombie, based in the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of New Albany, and American Eagle Outfitters Inc., are reporting sluggish sales, defying the myth that teen spending is recession-proof: It holds up longer, but can eventually fold.

It's even becoming cool to be frugal.

Last week, Ellegirl.com, the teen offshoot of Elle magazine, launched a new video fixture called Self-Made Girl, which shows teens how to make clothes and accessories. The first video offers tips on how to create a prom clutch.

"It's a little tacky in the economic unrest to tote a big logo bag," said Holly Siegel, the site's senior editor.