The lady of the house can add a new title to her resume- Chief Thrift Officer. This is an outcropping over concerns of rising fuel costs and how they are impacting household costs on so many levels.

I am reading that women in particular are actively seeking savings opportunities without compromising quality or lifestyle. Speaking from experience, I can say women take pride in creating a beautiful (and wholesome) lifestyle on a shoestring.

It's not parsimony we're talking here. It's about stretching the most from every nickel spent.

I've seen it called the Bisquick effect or Betty Crocker effect- but essentially, accomplished women are now turning to domestic activities as another avenue to demonstrate a high level of accomplishment. And if you consider Betty Crocker and Bisquick- those are two well-respected brands that are about shortcuts without compromising quality.

Translated into scrapbooking and paper crafting terms- consumers will be shopping craft stores for more solutions to creative entertaining, family greetings and home decor. They will spend money but they want the absolute most out of that expenditure. They also need that product to save time or steps as every working mom is time-challenged on some level.

My colleague Beth Williams at Memory Makers says an ancillary trend is how women who are cutting back will find new ways to treat themselves to little luxuries. She may buy the latest fashionable outfit, handbag or shoes but she will treat herself to a new paper or tool- a small outlay of cash that has the emotional reward of a luxury purchase.

Retailers- here's a great opportunity for you:

• Promote the cost-effectiveness of cardmaking (Their's $4.99, yours $1.25 plus 15 minutes of "you" time.)
• Almost done pages and kits - pre-designed layouts that all you do is drop photos in OR kits with all pieces cut.
• Create whimsical signage. "$1 luxury" "Luxuries under $5" " Go ahead, treat yourself, it's cheaper than shoes and easier to sneak in the house." (ED NOTE: Before anyone accuses me of encouraging someone to be less than honest with their spouse (not doing that), can I just say that the most popular tee shirt worn at the Great American Scrapbook Convention this past weekend was "My husband lets me have all the scrapbook supplies I can hide".)
• Promote classes and demos around 10 things you can do with eyelets or 15 uses for the Crop-a-dile.
  

Celebrate thrifitiness. Include tips in your newsletter and invite consumeres to share their own. Showing your customer that you want to help her make her money stretch further will help you build a stronger relationship with her.--Beth