It was reported this week by Bloomberg that the government has either spent or allocated $12.8 trillion in an attempt to shore up the financial system. That works out to $42,105 for every man, woman and child alive in the U.S.

On top of that financial burden, we are increasingly being asked to encumber our own lives. The president talks about the need for shared sacrifice how we must drive and consume less but shoulder higher taxes for the common good."

Private enterprise, it s worth noting, is taking on the downturn by offering value, not demanding self-denial. By competing in a free marketplace, corporations are stimulating the average Joe s bottom line a lot more than the federal government is giving in billions to the auto makers or AIG.

Denny s (DENN) will soon announce another free meal promotion, this time a Slamwich, a breakfast sandwich with eggs, sausage, bacon ham and cheese. It was just 60 days ago the restaurant gave anybody who visited an equally generous breakfast for free.

Airliner JetBlue (JBLU) is now offering full-fare refunds to customers who get laid off prior to their trip. This is in addition to their usual low fares, which, now starting at $39, cost less than the cab fare to the airport.

Walgreen (WAG), the country s largest drugstore chain, will offer free basic health-care services to patients who lose their jobs. Strep throat, bronchitis, minor burns and other common ailments are covered and Quest Diagnostics (DGX) is chipping in with limited free laboratory testing.

Jos. A. Bank (JOSB) recently announced a promotion that it would refund customers up to $199 for a suit purchased by April 9 in the event they lost their job, up until July 1. That s an amazing offer for a store where most outfits sell for under $400,

Others are offering similar promotions; Smartmoney.com s own Lisa Scherzer recently outlined far more.

The point is that, in response to this recession, companies are competing even harder for our business by offering more goods and services for less money. As I wrote last week, the cost of their efforts isn t born by taxpayers, but by speculators investing in the companies in the hopes these moves will drive growth and profitability. If the firms succeed, it s not because a senator or congressman ruled it by decree, but because they provide a value that actually improves customers' lives.

"Human good does not require human sacrifices and cannot be achieved by the sacrifice of anyone to anyone, wrote Ayn Rand. There is no conflict of interests among men who do not desire the unearned, who do not make sacrifices nor accept them, who deal with one another as traders, giving value for value.

That s just the sort of American stimulus we need.

Though raised on inexpensive jeans from the

(

) and

, I finally joined the ranks of the fashion-conscious and bought fancy "designer" jeans, doing my small part to help the economy and to try and impress the girls.

For around $200, I bought a pair of Joe s Jeans, a brand popular with stars like Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Kate Beckinsale. Upon bringing them home, I followed the store s strict instructions, breaking them in before turning them inside out, washing in cold water and having them professionally shortened. The cost seems extravagant, but I have to admit that my butt has never looked better.

Turns out the jeans are actually made by a publicly traded company, a tiny Nasdaq microcap known as

(

), which trades for a mere 32 cents and sports a market cap of just $20 million.

Gap (GPS) Zayre



Joe s Jeans (JOEZ)

Say It Ain t So, Joe

Joe s Jeans 1 year

In an age of uncertainty, Joe s is a true lottery ticket a microcap stock in danger of being delisted operating in a very weak sector.

That alone scares me. As a young investor, I was taught that penny stocks are penny stocks for a reason, and that a low share price is negative sign. Most of the time that s true. As was reported in Barron s this weekend, of the 176 stocks that traded below $1 anytime during 2008, the average drop was a stunning 84%.

Then again, there s the whole Peter Lynch approach of invest in what you know, which tempts me to jump into Joe s. The jeans are sharp. Having witnessed many eras of denim, from the acid-washed look of the 1980s to black skinny style of the 1990s, the modern incarnation is slimming, classic, versatile and luxuriously soft. We ve come a long way since Bugle Boys.

Moreover, consumer confidence numbers, as we pointed out a few months back are still at or near all-time-lows, even as many consumer-related stocks rally sharply. Names like Ruby Tuesday (RT)RT (Whole Foods Market), Whole Foods Market (WMFI), Dress Barn (DBRN) and Charlotte Russe Holding (CHIC) have enjoyed substantial bounces.

Given the fact stocks tend to anticipate the news, by the time confidence numbers actually improve, these stocks, and perhaps even Joe s Jeans, could build on hefty gains. That being said, I d consider this a low-probability, high-risk gamble. Fashionable, but not really my style.