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Although the news stock market reports give you the scoop on consumer spending trends every time the report comes out, how many of us paid more than a passing yawn to these tidbits in the past? Just a consolidation of statistics that didn't mean much to the average viewer. Now, we don't need to look further than our own household budget to find out. It's up close and personal these days. Have you taken a closer look, with a bit of a jaded eye, at San Ysidro's consumer market research advertising on TV? The pharmaceutical companies are heavy advertisers, obviously targeting consumers with various health problems, as well as the physicians that prescribe them.

Other products aimed at the ordinary consumer, advertise tooth whiteners, air fresheners and sophisticated toothbrushes. The person demonstrating the product always lives in affluent, even palatial environments that most people can't afford. Who can afford to even buy the medicines, much less the frivolous, unnecessary items? This difference between TV land and reality becomes more striking by the day. One of the most showcased of consumer marketing in San Ysidro trends is in the grocery store. Everyone is looking to save wherever possible.

Do you remember standing in the checkout line for as long as it took to do the shopping? Standing in line, you'd be behind several other shoppers, with their carts as full as they could be, seemingly without space for a single additional item. That's changed radically. The checkout process goes quite a bit faster, with carts more like half full of food. The home electronics stores are no longer the busy hubs of gadgetry buyers they were just a year ago.

Circuit City is a good example, having recently filed for bankruptcy. People are making do with the TVs, DVD players and cell phones they already own. Paying the bills must take priority and many people want to hang on to  their cash, should an emergency arise. The durable goods market is feeling the effects of the current market research in San Diego. We're all making do with the washer, dryer, refrigerator and other home items we presently have. In better times, we might have purchased such items before the appliance gave up the ghost. Now, consumers wait until a purchase is unavoidable.

This past holiday shopping season was a dismal failure for many retailers. Again, this reflects another facet of market trends in San Diego. From clothing to furniture, few people are buying and they consider each purchase carefully. Reluctant to part with available cash, even discounts of 75% failed to lure sufficient numbers of buyers to the cash register. Subsequently, at least three major department store chains have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcies. As for the automakers, we all know what those consumer spending trends have come to, as well as the consequences to taxpayers and automobile dealers.

I'm willing to bet that your spending habits are much like those described above. In order to reverse these dismal consumer spending trends, it seems that our government should look into the bottom-up approach and issue another round of stimulus checks to the people. You can't buy what you can't afford. The proposed solution is not conducive to stimulating the economy! What are they thinking?