If you have a job, retirement assets, are looking to spend or invest in anything, or have a company that relies on discretionary consumer spending (or a Web startup that is dependent on equally volatile discretionary ad spending), then listen up.

Woke up this morning to this article in the Minneapolis StarTribune entitled, “Retailers Hit 40-Year Low” which said in part, “On Thursday, the nation’s retailers turned in their worst January in almost four decades, as high fuel and food prices, a slumping housing market, tighter credit and a tougher job market pushed consumers to the edge.“

It’s no wonder that Apple cut its production of (what is mostly) discretionary purchases. From that StarTribune article, “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says that its shoppers are redeeming their holiday gift cards for basic items — pasta sauce, diapers, laundry detergent — instead of iPods or DVDs.“

But it gets worse than consumers buying staples instead of tech.

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