All the talk of a credit crunch gets a body down.

While it’s no longer the done thing to succumb to unrestrained retail therapy to cheer us up, there are a few smallish purchases which may dispel some of the gloom and have handy consequences in an economic downturn.

Ties and lipsticks are top of shopping lists at times like this, says The Times.

A lipstick is a perennial pick-me-up and the thinking is that a sharp tie will make you stand out in work and therefore improve your chances of holding on to your job when times are hard in business.

Outside work, a cinema ticket also gives a lift.

Summer is traditionally a time for kids’ cinema with not much to please an adult audience.

But perhaps studios are catching on to the fact that adults may also enjoy a trip to the cinema over the summer, as the timing of the releases of Mamma Mia! and Sex and the City would suggest.

Cinema audiences traditionally rise during times of economic downturn.

As Phil Clapp, the chief executive of the Cinema Exhibitors Association told The Times: “The box office seems to be resistant to recession.

“In general terms, the cinema is a cheap night out.”

Just don’t get carried away at the refreshments counter if you want to afford a tie and lipstick as well.