For years, the size of the average American home has been getting larger and larger while family size has been declining.

But now USA TODAY reports an abrupt change. As of last year, the average size of a new home was roughly 15% smaller than it was the year before. The square footage dropped from 2,629 to 2,343, according to Census data.

Americans have reached a point where they're saying, "Do we really need that many bedrooms?"

Of course, our spending has been reduced in so many areas. But the pivotal expense in our lives still remains housing. Having housing expenses that are too large can really eat up your budget. It can put a big crimp in your lifestyle: You can't build any reserve savings, you can't afford to send your children to private school, you can't put money aside for your children's college, etc.

Simply put, buying too much house is an unproductive use of American capital in Clark's estimation. This is not, however, a knock on builders. And of course, this message is not for everyone. Some people desire a bigger house; it's absolutely key to them -- and if they can afford it, so be it.