Although I try to avoid Wal-Mart, I seem to have always been the type of shopper described in a recent New York Times article, The Recession, Wal-Mart Style. Retailers are now finding that shoppers:

• stick to their grocery lists and cut back on browsing
  

• opt for private label food

• maintain their current vehicles rather than buying new

But the article doesn't describe me completely.

For example, I haven't traded in my vacation for an LCD television. And yes, I'll take ground beef before steak and chicken before beef, but that's just because I like them better. As my husband never fails to remind me, it's easy for me to be frugal when I have tastes like a peasant.