The mall is almost empty.
At the once-busy Bellis Fair mall in Bellingham, Wash., there are only a few customers browsing the aisles of the Target, Kohl's and Sears stores.
Outside the Bellis Fair Target store, the three members of the Baca family sit on a bench. "Can't really shop, no money," says Stephanie Baca, a caregiver with a visiting nurse service, who holds her nine-month-old daughter Naomi on her lap.
Ms. Baca's husband Marlon, who works at a restaurant in the mall, sits next to her. Since they don't have money to spend, today's mall activity is "just walking around," Ms. Baca says.
Lately, the couple has looked for ways to cut costs. "We just try to see where things are the cheapest. Anything - clothing, food, gas," she says.
