Probably, the combination of lowering home values, and rising gasoline prices makes people feel poor. Instead of filling up the tank and traveling away from a Boston suburb for a weekend vacation up to Cow Hampshire, they maybe stay at home and work on a project like sanding/painting their outside deck, or working on the lawn.
The dollar menu at McDonald's has been my mainstay for years. Suggest you try it....you may just like it! They even have a one dollar chocolate sundae, and its success is reflected in the mcd stock price history.
