LEWISTON – Elaine Hemenway adores Cassiel’s Day Spa.

She feels connected to the people. She loves the serene atmosphere. She relishes the massages, the manicures, the pedicures.

“I always feel good there,” she said.

But Hemenway doesn’t go for her favorite day spa services quite as often these days. She has scaled back her spending on everything from food to clothes. A monthly massage feels good, but it isn’t a necessity.

She’s too concerned about the nose-diving economy to spend as freely as she used to.

“I think everyone is,” said Hemenway, who runs a family business of her own in the area.

In slow economies, nonessential purchases are often the first thing to go as families try to save money. Four weeks after the stock market began its historic roller-coaster ride (four of the Dow’s biggest gains and four of its biggest losses happened in the past month), Lewiston-Auburn businesses are seeing people tighten their purses.

From upscale day spas to neighborhood restaurants, people are cutting back.

“It’s been a bit slower lately,” said Margaret Handville, assistant manager at the Lewiston House of Pizza, which has seen weeknight business slide. “I’m assuming more people don’t have money.”

Pierre Renaud, who runs Cerenau Grooming Spa and Pet Resort in Lewiston, has seen pet owners suddenly shun his premium pet foods in favor of less expensive brands. Some dog owners are spreading out grooming appointments, holding out for 10 or 12 weeks when before, they brought Fido in every eight weeks.

In an effort to keep customers coming, Renaud is working to hold his prices as low as possible.

“We take less of a profit margin,” he said.

Business has been good over the past year for Blais Flower and Garden Center in Lewiston, but owner Michael Blais has noticed the traditional slow periods have been especially slow. And more customers are picking out arrangements based on cost.

“They’re coming to us with a budget,” he said. “They’re coming to us with, ‘I have $25’ or, ‘I have $50 and what can I do (with that)?'”

Jim Rand, owner of Valetone Cleaners in Auburn, said his business has been poor. Fewer dry-cleaning customers are walking through the door, and those who do are increasingly relying on credit cards to pay.

“People don’t have any money, I guess. More than half of our receipts are credit cards these days because they don’t have the cash. You know, (customers put) $4 or $5 on the credit card,” he said. “That’s a pretty big sign.”

Summer is generally a slow time for the dry cleaner. Business should have picked up a month ago for the winter season. Rand hopes it gets back to normal soon.

“I’ve got my fingers crossed,” he said.

At Cassiel’s Day Spa, customers were still coming in and revenues remained steady compared to last year.

“I hear about people cutting back or losing out on things or husbands losing jobs. There’s a lot of sad stories right now,” owner Diane Dubois said. “I’m fortunate. I’m very grateful I’m not feeling the impact as much as I thought I would be.”

Still, she has noticed customers getting some services less often – like Hemenway, who used to get a massage once a month and now goes once every six to eight weeks. Tips to her hairdressers and other employees are also down.

“Somebody who did a $10 tip is probably doing a $5 tip. Someone who did a $20 tip might be doing a $10,” she said.

Business has remained steady at Fuel, an upscale Lewiston restaurant that often draws customers from Bates College and large businesses.

Sales have gone up about 5 percent at local Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. Both stores say they’re getting the same middle-class customers, though their shopping habits are different.

“They used to come here looking for a find,” said Mark Unruh, who oversees the Salvation Army store in Maine. “Now they’re shopping for necessity.”