Stimulus

You know the economy is in trouble when the whole world becomes split between being incredibly expensive and incredibly free. You can see it happening all over the place and it inspires a big-picture awe as well as a what-am-I-eating-tonight intrigue.

Of course we're all excited about our $300 (for individuals) to $123 Billion (for oil companies) economic stimulus checks from Uncle Sam this year, but a little less advertised are the perks you can get from floundering companies. You know there's trouble when Godiva starts offering free chocolate just to get you through the door. Trader Joe's on the other hand must be trying to find ways to deplete their overstocked inventory, as this week they doubled their sample offerings to 4 separate cheese, wine, beer, and hot meal (Shrimp) demonstration tables. Suffice it to say I neither cooked nor purchased dinner last night, but still went to bed full and happy.

Here in DC, my friends and I have become increasingly adept at sniffing out good happy hour deals, like the $2.75, 28oz King Kong glasses of beer at the aptly named bar Recessions. But their good deals are unspectacular since they fit with the whole under-priced dive bar ambiance going on there. The real "wow" kicks in when you find decidedly over-priced venues, like MCCXXIII (The "Champagne and Caviar" club, according to Michael Jordon), start handing out hours worth of 100% free open bars to in-the-know ballers like me (but please tip the bartender). If no one can afford your goods, it seems like a bit of a jump to give them away for free, but I'm not complaining.

On the bigger picture side of things, it is interesting to see who does well in an economic downturn like this. Those who specialize in the cheap seem to be quite happy, as demonstrated by the increased patronage of the aforementioned budget bar, Recessions. My friends at Trader Joe's have told me that business has never been better, whether for the fine weather or for the way that Whole Foods sucks your wallet dry. And then Google, who's stock ruined my portfolio early this year, has rebounded in recent days amid higher than expected profits. Apparently unemployed people who can't afford the gas to drive anywhere spend more time on the internet looking at ads.