A recent report in The Dallas News cites some interesting recession indicators courtesy of…7-Eleven?!

Yes, even those who frequent convenience stores are getting cost conscious these days!

According to the report, 7-Eleven customers are buying 18-packs of beer because they offer a better value than the standard 6- or 12-packs. In addition, they're purchasing cheap beer during the week and more expensive brands on the weekends.

When it comes to cigarettes, a heavy federal tax has forced many customers to switch from buying a pack a day to a pack every 3 days. Likewise, people are trading down to $10 phone cards instead of $20 phone cards.

Propane demand is also way up as we continue to see people eating at home instead of dining out.

And in the soft drink aisle, customers are selecting Mountain Dew instead of the fancy newfangled energy drinks. After all, you want to get that jolt from the caffeine content of your beverage, not from sticker shock, right?