DAILY DOLLARS | About one-third or 33 percent of American consumers say they are more likely to shop online now that it costs so much to fill up our gas tanks, according to a recent survey conducted by market research firm Harris Interactive and commissioned by iCongo, a software maker.

Other interesting results:

• 57 percent of respondents said free shipping is a reason they are more likely to shop online
• 55 percent said lower prices lead them to shop online
• 61 percent cited the ability to shop at any time as a reason they are more likely to shop online
• 45 percent  said they plan to make retail purchases with their tax rebate

I think that while more people may consider saving gas by shopping online, the amount of money they spend may not grow by much because people are just not shopping as much as they used to.  Also, online shopping only makes up about 5 percent of all retail purchases, so brick and mortar stores still dominate.

Of course, as any savvy shopper will tell you, a great way to find the best deal on anything is to shop around, whether its online or in a physical store.

DAILY DOLLARS | So pretty much anyone who buys groceries knows that the cost of basic goods like milk, eggs and produce have gone up in the past few years. The change seems small, like an extra 50 cents for a half gallon of milk, but it adds up overtime.

And for those of us who have decided to switch to organic products, the change is even more pronounced. Organic food costs on average 20 to 100 percent more than the conventional equivalent.  Check out this piece from today’s New York Times.

For many shoppers, the switch to organic seems like a splurge or luxury.  With prices on the rise, I wonder how many people will start compromising health or environmental concerns just to keep their budgets under control.

STICKER SHOCK | I heard some rumors last week that Safeway has started charging shoppers a 25 cent deposit to use the shopping carts at a store in the South Bay. Apparently the retailer had set up a coin-operated device similar to the ones used at airports for luggage carts.

Well, according to a column in the San Jose Mercury News, the device somehow made a detour on its way to Canada, were apparently cart deposits are common.

From SJM columnist Patty Fisher:

Safeway doesn’t use coin-operated carts in the United States,  (Safeway spokeswoman Esperanza Greenwood) explained, because we just won’t stand for them.

“We tested them in Hawaii back in the 1970s, but the feedback was not very positive,” she said. “Apparently nobody likes them very much.”

Nobody here, that is. In Canada the coin-operated carts are a big success.

Canadians apparently hate abandoned shopping carts. They consider them a real eyesore, a visual insult like graffiti, destroying the beauty of streams, parks and neighborhoods.

I agree with Fisher: Having to pay to use a shopping cart seems like a good way to boost sales at other grocery stores or get consumers to not shop at all.

On the other hand, some stores charge valet or parking fees and you don’t get that money back all in the name of convenience. But a coin-operated device really is a huge stretch and a little behind the times, especially in cities where parking meters now take debit cards (now that was a good idea! I never carry change).

DAILY DOLLARS | The Daily Green, a site dedicated to eco-friendly living, compiled a calendar of eco-friendly deals for the month of April since Earth Day is coming up on the 22nd. Some of the offers are coupons for products like Seventh Generation cleaning supplies, Body Shop cream and Bunnybury baby gifts.

DAILY DOLLARS | Pretty much every article I’ve written in the last six months has included a mention of the now ubiquitous “slowdown in consumer spending.” The MSNBC video I’ve embedded here emphasizes the trend.

Making your money count has become a high priority for most consumers and that’s great. As one person in the video says, shoppers are a lot less frivolous. I think that’s one benefit of economic uncertainty. It makes everyone scrutinize every dollar. People aren’t buying things they don’t need. They are becoming serious of putting more in their savings accounts. I would put myself in that boat. I’ve been trying to pump up my savings and have resisted buying anything other than food, gas and other necessities since January.

On the flip side, when will this uncertainty end?! I feel like I’m waiting for the day when the economy will start looking rosy and we can go back to the mall. I realize, however, that it’s not going to be that easy. Just as consumer spending has slowed slowly over time, improving the economy will also take time. And, shopping behavior probably won’t return to the massive overspending spree that got in this mess in the first place. Smart spending is crucial when the economy is booming or busting. I hope the good habits we are building now stay with us if and when our economy turns around.

DAILY DOLLARS | Now that everyone’s convinced we either heading into a recession or should be prepared for one, it’s a good time to think of ways to reduce everyday expenses. One way to do that is by using coupons.

I have to say that while my mother is an avid coupon clipper, I’ve never made using them a habit and I think I could be missing out on some major savings. My problem with coupons, so many other aspects of my life, is that they require a minimal amount of organization. You have to remember to take them to the store, pull them out of your wallet and give them to the cashier. I know that’s not much, but I’m one of those people who spends half hour looking for her keys every morning.

Also, I never did much grocery shopping until I went off to college earlier this decade and those obnoxious “savings cards” were all the rage. I had one from every store I went to or had been to one time and could save 50 cents by signing up. I think that invention trained people to bring the card or type in their phone numbers.

But, now is the time for change shoppers! Here are some tips from Consumer Reports on how to make good use of coupons and snip your grocery bills:

• GO ONLINE FOR COUPONS. Get money-off coupons and free samples from coupon sites such as SmartSource.com, Coupons.com and CoolSavings.com, e-mail newsletters and manufacturer Web sites. Use store-loyalty cards with those coupons to save even more. (Shop Talk also recommends Coupon Cabin, Retail Me Not and Coupons.com.)
• TRY SOMETHING NEW. Give a second thought to those grocery items you buy over and over again. You may be missing cheaper products that are just as good. Also check out store-brand products which can be as much as 50 percent cheaper and are often just as good or better than brand-name products.
• AVOID SPENDING TRAPS. Beat stores at their own game by refusing free samples, ignoring product posters at the front entrance, avoiding the middle of the shelves, skipping unplanned buys and avoiding products displayed at the end of the aisle.
• STOCK UP ON SALE ITEMS. If you’ve got the space in your freezer and cabinets, it pays to load up on staples when they’re on sale. Also, the same items are often on sale in multiple stores in your area. So check out the circulars from those other stores and then scoop up the bargains by store-hopping.

DAILY DOLLARS | Gas prices have risen steeply in the past month. Read my story about it in today’s paper.

The article focused on how spikes in gas prices affect driving habits and the main consensus is that they don’t: most people drive the same distances even when prices are higher. The fact is, a 16 percent jump in prices is noticeable, but won’t make people change.

The difference, however, does take a bite out of consumers’ disposable incomes and that has some economists concerned as they a slowdown of retail sales.

A piece published by CNNmoney tells us:
Other industry watchers note that they’re worried about the recent uptick in gas prices which could squeeze discretionary spending.
“Consumption is under pressure and it won’t get better any time soon,” said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist with High Frequency Economics.

I have seen my weekly fill-ups rise from about $30 to $35 in the last month. That accounts to about an extra $20 a month on gas. That’s $20 I won’t spend on something else or won’t save. It may not seem like a lot, but if that happens to everyone who drives, the cumulative effect on the economy could be huge.

How much more are you spending on gas?

DAILY DOLLARS | I wrote a story for today’s paper about layaway services. The practice has slipped away faster than quality customer service, but that’s a whole other topic.

Layaway may seem archaic and about as hip as wearing a leisure suit, but the idea of paying for something before you own it makes sense to me. It takes discipline to make recurring payments without that adrenaline rush of owning something instantly or the threat of a poor credit score if you don’t pay your bills. As consumers, we are so used to getting what we want when we want it, regardless of whether we can actually afford it. And by “afford” I don’t mean how much you can spend before maxing out your credit cards. I mean, does the purchase realistically fit in your budget?

I have slowly weaned myself off my credit cards and switched to using my debit for just about everything (it’s green so it makes me feel like I’m using cash). I rarely buy big ticket items and when I do (like the snazzy Apple MacBook I’m typing on), I look for “90 days same as cash.” So what’s better getting something right away or getting something you own outright even it takes a little while?

DAILY DOLLARS: In planning my upcoming trip to Mexico, for which I methodically packed for days, I was confronted with the difficult question: travel or regular size. I am going on a two-week long vacation and some of those travel size equal one to three uses, so longer than a weekend maybe out of the question.
Here are some tidbits on what to carry travel size:

I love Targets’ travel size aisle. It’s so convenient and adequately stocked with a variety of products like eye make up removing pads.

I have found that tubes of toothpaste seem to last for several days while others like shampoo are gone before a weekend is. I tried to quantify how much of what product to use to justify whether I needed the mini-version. For stuff like shaving cream, I went regular size because the travel version was still bulky. For contact solution, I went travel size because the big econo-size bottles I get from Costco are just to heavy. (Tip: I got the travel size from my eye doctor. They get free samples, so don’t be afraid to ask.)

For shampoo and conditioner, I bought refillable bottles because they are two or three times the size of those little travel ones and then I can use the same brand I use everyday. That’s one thing that can be a pain about travel size — not finding your usual products.

Other travel size finds: Ponds face cleansing cloths, individualized packaged wipes, body wash, lotion, face moisterizer and toner.

After six days, I think I’m all packed. Look for updates from Mexico in the days to come.

DAILY DOLLARS: Paying less for something than what I expected to pay makes me feel like I saved money. For example, this morning I decided to do what I call a “Starbucks breakfast,” which means I order a tall latte of some kind and a pastry, which costs around $5.

Today, I ordered a grande chai latte and zucchini nut bread. A piece of the bread broke off while the server was putting it in a bag for me, so I got it free. That made my breakfast $3.20. The server said, “It’s your lucky day.”

So, how do you decide whether your purchases are deals or splurges? I usually spend $40 to $50 on a haircut, for instance, which some people say is a splurge, but I don’t see it that way because I get my hair cut about three times a year.

Here are other examples of my standards:
Lunch: $6
Dinner at a restaurant: $15
(I remember when I was in college and going out to dinner was more like
$10 or less. I miss those days.)
Weekly grocery bill: $30
Tank of gas: $35 (gasp!)

So, dear readers, where do you set the bar?