Just when you thought times are hard and what a dollar can buy you these days, Starbucks is test marketing $ 1 cup of coffee in its home town area. Recession has its benefits. Numerous dollar shops in your neighborhood are proof positive that a dollar still buys something. Recently I picked up a pack of excellent greeting cards for this season for just a dollar a piece.

And I was pleasantly surprised to hear Gallan Weston, who owns a big chunk of George Weston ( Market Cap. $ 7.2 billion) / Loblaws ( Market Cap. $ 9.1 billion) on the radio (Easy Rock 97.3 fm) entreating potential customers to come to his store.

His message: They have reduced the price of organic baby food and for this reason it is worth switching supermarkets for.

You may say, “Thank god, he didn’t meant it is reason enough to have more babies”.

Believe me, I am not making fun of his message, (I am a great admirer and beneficiary of President Choice products). I am merely pointing out the trends. I read somewhere Loblaws is gearing itself to meet potential competition from Walmart and Metro Inc. its close competitor locked down prices in response, to retain its customer loyalty.

And in the end, we the customers enjoy the benefits.

Or consider this: a dollar buys more of stock in say Bank of America (with 30 consecutive years of dividend increases page 19/20) in three years and probably giving a better yield than any time previously.

You might have heard or enjoyed the Alison Krauss song, “……. Another day another dollar Sure can’t buy my blues away ……. Just gets harder every day”, but don’t take it seriously.

I am of the firm conviction, things are not getting worse. Instead it is getting better every day.

So my dear readers don’t despair, but if you do, enjoy life in despair.