Sarah Raymond, The Examiner
2008-07-16 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Local shoppers are finding creative ways to try to maintain their lifestyles as prices at the gasoline pump and checkout line continue to rise.

“I sell a lot of my old things to pay for new stuff,” said Joseph Perez, of Alexandria, as he waited in line for the new iPhone at the Apple Store in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. “I’ll sell old DVDs or old jeans instead of giving them away. People will pay 20 bucks on eBay for ‘vintage’ jeans.”

Others are scouting for bargains on sale racks and at discount stores.

“This is my first time in the mall since Christmas,” said Maga Barritt, of Mount Vernon. “Now I go to TJ Maxx.”

Barritt said she also cut down on salon expenses by getting rid of her acrylic nails.

Monica Mangum, of Waldorf, Md., strolled through the mall empty-handed.

“There’s a lot more window-shopping, less impulsive buys,” she said. “There’s a lot more wishful thinking.”

Mangum said high gas prices have made her think twice about even visiting the mall, which she used to do regularly.

“It doesn’t really pay off to be dressed like a million bucks when you then can’t put gas in your car,” she said.

Shoppers at Giant Food in downtown Silver Spring also said they are noticing the rising prices of grocery staples and adjusting their spending.

“I find that I get considerably less for the amount I’ve budgeted for,” said Deborah Evans, of the District of Columbia. “And I’m an accountant and bookkeeper, so I pay attention.”

Many said they have changed their shopping habits to cut down on grocery bills.

“I buy sale items and I buy store brands,” said Ellie Padgett, of Silver Spring. “I particularly miss more fresh fruit and better cuts of meat.”

Inflation climbed 0.6 percent for consumers in May, with both food and energy rising.

Prices for food likely will increase by 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Inflation at the wholesale level jumped 1.8 percent last month and has climbed 9.2 percent over the past year, the fastest rate of inflation since 1981, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. The agency is slated to release the June Consumer Price Index today.