A new poll released Wednesday shows nearly 75 percent of all Hudson Valley consumers have radically altered their spending habits during the deep recession.

Manhattanville College polled more than 500 people in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties and found that 71 percent are dining out less and cutting entertainment spending; 70 percent are buying fewer new clothes and buying less expensive items when they do; and 65 percent are buying cheaper groceries.

The slumping economy and how Hudson Valley residents are reacting to it are topics News 12 tackled Wednesday evening at the live town hall meeting "Your Money: Surviving the Crisis."

The meeting took place at Stew Leonard's in Yonkers, and residents were invited to attend and get their questions about the economy answered by a panel of local financial experts.

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