[Caffeine]

This Yahoo News article mentions a number of ordinary consumer items like wine and chocolate. Consider the following, though...
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')trong sales of Spam, Dinty Moore stew and chili helped Hormel Foods Corp. post a 6 percent increase in first quarter sales in its grocery products unit.

[Schmuto]

Silver lining:

Get the lard asses out to the garden.

[JJ]

I don't know what everyone is worried about. One of my wifes closest friends just traded in her paid off Dodge Neon for a brand new ford F-150. It's only 400.00 a month. She has a good job, works for the WIC office. <sarcasm off

[efarmer]

I make a dual run to Aldi's for staples monthly. One set for the
kitchen at work one set for the kitchen at home. I see a lot more
folks including a bunch of newbies who had been shopping at the
more premium places. The house brands of canned stew, meats,
and ramen noodles really are flying off the shelves.

One of the things I am using as a personal barometer is if I see
folks buying flour, cornmeal, or sugar in the quantities that say
they are baking from scratch more. I only see the traditional
Hispanic and older women who have always baked getting
those types of goods as well as I can judge.

I believe we are going to see deflation take hold for a year
and then inflation come to visit as a result of all the money
tricks we have been doing to avoid a collapse last fall.
Most folks though are in the temporarily frugal mindset
that considers a brand switch for savings sufficient rather
than learning some staple cooking basics that really can
stretch your food dollars dramatically.

I have been working on getting my kid in the know on making
some basic things and used a pizza in the box kit for a starter
project. Yeah, the box still tastes better than the results and
baking powder crust versus yeast is taking biscuit technology
and forcing it where it doesn't belong. A piece dropped on the
floor and our bargain hound (she eats whatever food is on sale)
sniffed and gave it a pass as well.

As Pops would say, plan your work and work your plan.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('efarmer', ' ')used a pizza in the box kit for a starter project.

[blukatzen]

The folks are eating up the veggies faster than I can order them..it's incredible! I am overjoyed so many are interested, even if it took all this to do it!

Lots of fruit tree sales, and fruit bushes as well. Figs, Apples, pears, peaches, and other fruit trees are going gangbusters.

I'm exhausted, though..

Blu

[Ludi]

That's fantastic, blu! I hope these folks keep on gardening even if we have a "recovery."

[MarkJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Wal-Mart's customers buying more discretionary items
Wal-Mart has attracted more customers in the recession as people look to save money on everyday items such as food and diapers. Still, food is not the fastest growing category at Walmart stores in the United States. "Our best performing categories right now are things like sporting goods, bedding, towels," Castro-Wright said.

In February, 17 percent of traffic growth at Walmart came from new households and the majority of those households have annual income of more than $50,000, Castro-Wright said. Those new customers are spending more than the average Walmart shopper, who typically has a lower annual income. "The average ticket for those customers is 40 percent higher than the rest of the chain," he said.

[efarmer]

You are right about the pizza Ludi. I am trying to find the
balance between her flying the kitchen solo and having
results that make her feel like she really made something
good. My grandma taught me how to make raisin bread
from scratch when I was 11 and I did pretty good with
the exception of the first time solo when I gave the family
the explosive farts and became a cult hero with my
brothers. Tootbread gas torture while being sat on
under the covers and then dragged out for a Dutch
rub was the high praise for a budding chef.

On topic, I am seeing library use explode since last winter
compared to recent years, so people are using public
resources more in addition to more carefully shopping.

[Sleepy]

i saw The Howling a long long time ago, never did finish it though, fell asleep i guess

ah cant beat homemade pizza

[Tyler_JC]

MarkJ,

I'd say this is a bad sign. It indicates that consumers are trading down in a big way.

People who used to spend $200 on a Margaritaville® Bahamas™ Frozen Concoction™ Maker are now buying the $25 Walmart blender.

Both of them can make margaritas in 5 minutes so I don't think consumers are suffering much in terms of functionality but overall spending is reduced by 80%+

The entrance of $50,000+ households into the Walmart customer list says a lot about consumer psychology right now.

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('efarmer', ' ')used a pizza in the box kit for a starter project.

[vtsnowedin]

I went in to pick up my chick order a day early when the store called. The had 2500 chicks come in on the May 15 order and the peeping was driving them bats. They have chick day once a month in the spring so that adds up to a lot of feed and waterers.
In the last week I have seen two signs saying that checks are no longer accepted. One in a restaurant and the other at a gas/beer store. I guess I'll have to be the last in the family to move to a debit card.
Home Depot is steady and lawn and garden is beating the rest of the store daily. This from a friend that works in the plumbing isle.

[MarkJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'M')arkJ,

I'd say this is a bad sign. It indicates that consumers are trading down in a big way.

[rangerone314]

I'm only buying food & drink (lots of powdered drinks, almost never any sodas, lots of tea). Buying seeds, planter trays, claybreaker & soil from HomeDepot.

Buying no retail stuff, no clothes, games, movies, CDs, electronics goods.

Did buy a 3rd 100' extension cord so now I can mow far out into the yard. The small area of yard beyond that near the woods is the "neutral zone" and will be eventually dominated by fruit & nut trees etc.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '
')Did buy a 3rd 100' extension cord so now I can mow far out into the yard.

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '
')Did buy a 3rd 100' extension cord so now I can mow far out into the yard.

[jdmartin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '
')Did buy a 3rd 100' extension cord so now I can mow far out into the yard.

[strider3700]

I spent 3 hours in walmart today waiting while they switched my winter tires over for the summer ones(I really need to find a set of rims for the winters). It was kind of interesting to wander and see what people were buying.

I saw very little interest in the electronics area. Some people browsing the DVD's but that was about it. The fish/pet area was completely dead but thats common as far back as I remember. The garden center was very busy. The tire/auto shop was busy also which surprised me. Lots of retired people getting the basics done. Oil changes, plugs, rotate tires... The Mc donalds had a fair number of people in it but most of them where grayhairs drinking coffee and that was it. Clothing area was pretty much empty, same with the shoes. Toys had kids but didn't seem to have anyone buying. Sporting goods was mostly empty.

Lots of people in the groceries. Most of them in the fridge/freezer aisle or in the pop/chips aisle. Canned food/packaged food aisles where quiet. There seemed to be a number of people at the fabric area as well but they all seemed to know each other so maybe it was a club?

Anyways the number 1 item was probably chocolate but it may have been pop. A close second would be vegetable starts, tomatoes and lettuce being the most popular by far. Nothing really out of the ordinary in my books.

[Bill55AZ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('strider3700', 'I') spent 3 hours in walmart today waiting while they switched my winter tires over for the summer ones(I really need to find a set of rims for the winters). It was kind of interesting to wander and see what people were buying.

I saw very little interest in the electronics area. Some people browsing the DVD's but that was about it. The fish/pet area was completely dead but thats common as far back as I remember. The garden center was very busy. The tire/auto shop was busy also which surprised me. Lots of retired people getting the basics done. Oil changes, plugs, rotate tires... The Mc donalds had a fair number of people in it but most of them where grayhairs drinking coffee and that was it. Clothing area was pretty much empty, same with the shoes. Toys had kids but didn't seem to have anyone buying. Sporting goods was mostly empty.

Lots of people in the groceries. Most of them in the fridge/freezer aisle or in the pop/chips aisle. Canned food/packaged food aisles where quiet. There seemed to be a number of people at the fabric area as well but they all seemed to know each other so maybe it was a club?

Anyways the number 1 item was probably chocolate but it may have been pop. A close second would be vegetable starts, tomatoes and lettuce being the most popular by far. Nothing really out of the ordinary in my books.