Rattled by Economy's Ills, Consumers Forgo Life's Little Luxuries

For her, the case in point is ground beef. She bought 2.4 pounds last week and paid more than $12. "It's crazy," she said. "Spaghetti used to be a cheap meal for my family."

In Potomac Falls, Cindy Donahue, 45, said she and her husband decided last month to draw up a budget "because the economy is not in good shape." They cut back on shopping trips to Target and the mall, which drew some reaction from their teenage daughter.

"I was kind of shocked," said Rebecca, 13. "No more Abercrombie or Hollister." She admitted, a little sheepishly, "I'm kind of used to getting what I want."

None of this reassessment and angst has been noted at Kitchen and Bath Studios in Chevy Chase, where owner Jerry Weed said he has seen no hesitation to spend among the very well-off. "If someone wanted a luxury bathroom and they could have afforded it two years ago, they can afford it now," he said.

There are also those who say they have always kept an eye on prices and spending and are not making any changes. Said Nancy Costa, a mother of two in Herndon: "I'd like to see the economy get better, obviously, but it's not affecting my day-to-day living."

Fuller, of George Mason, believes that, even for those who do make changes, the urgency will wane over time. As with New Year's resolutions, he said, many changes do not take permanent hold. "Self-denial is difficult," he said.

For now, though, the wary are doing what they can, and some have shown up at Designer Resale, a consignment shop in Bethesda, where the owner, Tiina Hayden, said her business has been brisk in recent weeks. "When times get tougher," she said, "more people are looking for bargains."

Charlene Hennessy was among her patrons recently, there with her Coach purse and diamond earrings to consign. "I used to hold onto stuff more," she said. "Now I'm like, if I haven't worn this in a year, it goes. If this doesn't look good on me, it goes."

Her feelings about the economy have little to do with any personal peril. Two years ago, she and her husband moved from a townhouse to a single-family home, tripling their mortgage payment, but he works for the government and she is in health care, and their jobs are secure.

It is the well-being of her children, ages 21 and 22, that weighs on her most. Her son works in construction, driving a truck that costs $130 to fill with gas, she said. "If my son falls on hard times," she said, "I definitely want to help him."