Poll: Economic slowdown forcing Americans to cut back on necessities

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The slumping economy is hurting Americans where it hurts the most: daily necessities like food and medication.

A national CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Thursday found that 30 percent of respondents are trimming their spending on food and medicine and that 57 percent are worried they will have to cut back soon.

Nearly half said they have cut back on how much heating or electricity they use in their homes, and 53 percent are concerned that they will have to trim spending on heating in the future.

– By CNNMoney.com's David Goldman