The decline in value of the U.S. dollar and the slowdown in the U.S. economy are supposed to help rectify deficits on the trade front. However, those deficits are proving more intractable than many had pre-supposed. Reliance on foreign energy is a problem with no short-term solution. And purchases of low-cost foreign consumer goods are not just a spur-of-the-moment event. For many families, the low prices at Wal-Mart and its competitors are the only means to stretch tight family budgets to cover essentials.