Don't Say No to the Girls.

Believe it or not, the little girls with the green sashes are suffering in this economy as well.

So far this year, Girl Scout cookie sales are thinning. USA Today reported that the national numbers are not yet in, but that regional Girl Scout councils across the country are feeling the impact of the recession.

To be specific, they have seen declines of at least 19% in pre-order sales taken place since the start of January through early February.

The unfortunate concept is that pre-order sales, as in door-to-door and workplace sales, constitute around 70% of overall cookie sales.

It is now the Girl Scout Council's hope that the lack of pre-order sales will be made up with spring sales in shopping booths.

Girl Scouts typically sell cookies from January to March, and all the proceeds go to the many troops and councils spread out nationwide for trips, community projects, and scholarships.

In fact, each box of Girl Scout cookies has been reduced about one ounce this year because of amped up ingredient and transportation costs.

But it's not that hard to support them in their time of need. There were Girl Scouts selling cookies at the bottom of Gaylord College today after I got done with the Wednesday OU Nightly boradcast. It only cost me seven dollars for my essential Thin Mints and Tagalongs, each box only costing $3.50, which has been the standard price per box for the past five years now.

So don't turn your backs on the girls. Besides, you know you want a box.