With the economy in a slump, some very visible symbols of the slowdown are starting to show. The fast food index, which measures how often people eat the greasy stuff, is actually a good indicator of what's going on economically. The same can be said of cable subscriptions. Clark recently read that techies are canceling cable TV because they watch so much Internet programming for free.

Now comes word that Starbucks is going through a midlife crisis and have brought back their founder as CEO. A handful of stores are even selling coffee for $1 and other locations are offering free refills. Starbucks created the premium market for coffee and now they're suffering from it. People can no longer justify spending $5 on a cup o' joe. Plus, practically every financial guru boasts about how much you can save in the long run by eliminating a latte a day from your budget. So will Starbucks take a cue from the fast-food giants and debut a StarBUCKS menu with several $1 selections? There's no telling. Right now these sales ploys are only being tested at select locations. If they do build traffic, you'll soon see them everywhere.

It used to be taken as an article of faith that the wealthy would continue spending even during lean times. But the mass affluent market is suffering too. So if you do go out to treat yourself to a meal or a shopping spree, there will be more opportunities (what's called "the value proposition" in industry lingo) for you.