It seems the chic thing to do these days to stress the economic timeliness of everything, but if this is surely the “Greatest” Depression as we all have convinced ourselves, why does Starbucks still have lines out the door?

The answer is simple, yet complicated at the same time — we, as American consumers and college students, refuse to don the apple barrel of our predecessors and sacrifice our comfort for the frugality of a properly managed budget.

With news the way it is these days, essentially serving as an omnipresent reminder that our fiscal society is slowly crumbling beneath us, it’s easy to get misled into thinking that “business” has become synonymous with collapse. As one would expect in a recession, sales of long-term commodities such as furniture (a la Linens ’n Things), vehicles (a la General Motors), and “Margaritaville” blenders (a la “South Park”) have suffered greatly.

However it appears that retailers of short-term, “feel-good” products such as alcohol, fast food and clothes have felt little-to-no negative effects from the economic crisis.

While Starbucks’ stock saw a 51.8 percent decrease in value from October to mid-November of 2008, the company’s price has since stabilized, rising 26 percent in the last month alone.

Here’s one stock tip that won’t cost you a dime: Win or lose, Americans still booze. Alcohol has proved itself a truly “recession-proof” industry, with sales rapidly increasing to drown economic sorrows. Texas bar manager Andrew Davis, in an interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, explains, “If you’re in a bad mood, getting drunk makes you feel good. If you’re in a good mood, it makes you feel better.” Perhaps then it is not such a surprise that Mill Avenue remains as crowded as ever despite students’ tightened financial constraints.

Baskin Robbins ice cream stores have also thrived on the American lust for sweet indulgences and, according to PR Newswire, plans to “double its presence across the country,” opening 600 stores globally in 2008 alone, with another 50 planned to open this year. Perhaps recessions don’t necessarily need to be overtly depressing.

From the day Axis Sports, a high-end skateboard and clothing shop, opened within the Vista del Sol apartment complex in Tempe earlier this year, I have stared at it, pessimistically awaiting its inevitable end. I had thought to myself, “How can a business that exists to sell $300 jeans to college students survive in these economically-barren times?” Ironically, once I gained the audacity to ask them myself, I was informed that denim products are their biggest sellers.

To put this into perspective, a high-end pair of jeans such as True Religion or Rock and Republic can set you back as much as $260-340, a large chunk of the roughly $350 an average student spends per month to live in the dorms at ASU. I suppose style is priceless, even when it means you can’t pay your rent that month.

I was taught by my parents to never own a debit card or use an ATM. While this has proved burdensome and caused me a large portion of angst in my early financial years, I’ve begun to understand the method behind their madness.

Always remember to keep track of your assets and, of course, spend responsibly.

Hal is an accountancy major and mini-splurge enthusiast. Send him your thoughts at hscohen@asu.edu.