necessities

An August survey said 73 percent of Americans with school-aged children had back-to-school budgets that were the same as or smaller than last year’s.

I was a victim of lifestyle creep, which is a fancy name for keeping up with the Joneses. Lifestyle creep is the enemy of savings.

It turns luxuries into necessities. And it’s a fact of life in a wealthy culture.

Target says sales in stores open at least one year edged down 0.1 percent in October as sales of necessities like healthcare products rose, but electronics and sporting goods sales were weaker.

Retailers posted sales declines for August as shoppers held back on back-to-school purchases and continued to focus on necessities, raising further concern about the holiday season.

Many retailers posted sales declines as shoppers continued to focus on necessities, raising further concern about the holiday season.

Retailers are reporting sales declines for August as shoppers continue to hold off on back-to-school purchases and continue to focus on necessities.

Evidence of a new consumer mindset keeps piling up. Today's New York Times front page reports Americans are becoming savers.

When they shop, it is for necessities. They are spending less on impulse purchases.

July was another month of sluggish sales for retailers as shoppers, many of them worried about their jobs, continued to focus on buying only the necessities.

Mall-based chains continue to be hit hardest as consumers focus on necessities, but the warehouse club operator Costco’s results also missed analyst estimates.

From paper towels at Toys R Us to bagged lettuce at Target, several large retailers are taking a page from Wal-Mart — the king of one-stop shopping.