CONTRIBUTORS

Cindy Perman
News Editor at CNBC.com and the author of The Pony Blog (ponyblog.cnbc.com). She has also written a book, “New York Curiosities,” and does stand-up comedy.
Jane Wells
CNBC business news reporter, based in Los Angeles, covering the defense and technology industries. She writes the CNBC.com blog Funny Business.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

The news can get a little heavy sometimes, with debt crises, vicious markets and crappy earnings reports. So, we dispatched our crack reporters, Cindy Perman and Jane Wells, to find some levity amid all this seriousness. May we offer you a Keynesian cocktail with a side of bacon?

Why a Pony? To be clear, there were no ponies harmed in the making of this blog. The blog’s name, “There Must Be a Pony In Here Somewhere,” comes from an old joke, a favorite of Ronald Reagan’s, that essentially means, with a pile of you-know-what this big, there MUST be a pony—a bright side—in here somewhere!

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Feb.10

1:58 PM ET

Tuesday, 10 Feb 2009

Recession Crimps Valentine's Spending—But Can't Touch Sex

Posted By:Cindy Perman

Topics:Stock Market | Recession | Economy (U.S.) | Wall Street

Companies:Campbell Soup Co | Church & Dwight Company, Inc.

The recession may be forcing sweetie pies, love muffins and schnookerdoodles to spend a little less this Valentine’s Day, but they’ll still be getting out their Barry White albums.

Have I ever told you that I can't get enough of your love, babe?

Oh yeah.

Lovers are expected to spend about $20 less this Valentine’s Day, dishing out just over $100 to make their schmoopy smile, the National Retail Federation reported.

But 79 percent of those who engage in sexy time said their personal financial situation has had no impact on their frequency of sex, according to a separate survey by Consumer Reports.

In fact, five percent of the people surveyed said they’re having sex more often.

I guess some people just can’t get enough of your love, babe.

Welcome to the Pony Blog! Wait, What's a Pony Blog?!

Wait a minute. What about the Baby Boom? Doesn’t the, uh, “boom-”type stuff happen after the storm has passed?

Well, yes. But if you’re saving money and having dinner at home instead of going out to a fancy restaurant, that can “lead to a romantic evening,” Consumer Reports medical adviser Orly Avitzur explained to USA Today.

And, of course, there’s the obvious: "Sex can provide pleasure and boost mood while serving needs for intimacy and providing a calming effect," Avitzur is quoted as saying.

Now that’s what I call a stimulus plan.

Let the music play on.

Pony Treats:

Money Talks. A Daily Beast love poll found that people making more than $75,000 a year reported a more-active sex life than their poorer counterparts. Who said money can't buy happiness?

How to Play It: One astute CNN iReporter points out the subsequent recession trade: Condoms and soup. Not bad, either: Trojan parent Church and Dwight [CHD Loading... ()

] is a $50 stock, the equivalent of about 10 Bank of Americas. Durex parent SSL International trades in London under the symbol "SSL." It's a 500-pound (more than US$700) stock. Pairs nicely with Campbell's Soup [CPB Loading... () ].

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