Back to school shopping set to fall: Good!

Call me a miser, but a lot of the headlines about weak consumer spending bring a smile to my face. People have been overextending themselves for a long time and the hippie in me believes that a recession may be just what need to bring our focus back to what's really important.

The USA Todayreports that "New back-to-school duds and supplies will be at the bottom of many family shopping lists this fall, with 71% saying they will spend less on back-to-school items this year than last year." According the Deloitte survey, 83% will cut back on clothing.

The USA Today coverage continues without a hint of irony: "More say they plan to do back-to-school shopping at dollar stores than at department stores, office supply stores (such as Staples) or off-price stores (such as TJ Maxx).