Going stingy … eh, thrifty

So here we are now in a recession. The more they are talking about it the bigger it gets. Sometimes it feels that if they would stop talking about it, things might actually not become that bad in the first place. However, recent news gives some indication that a family got killed because they had gone bust. It seems that some believe that livelihood is worth more than life.

How wrong they are! Seeing children play in the poorest areas of our world, laughing and being over the moon about little things, and then to compare them with some of our offspring, which is likely to throw the £200 Christmas gift at us because it has the wrong brand name written on it…

We are confusing money with safety: the roof above our heads, the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the social circles we buy our ways into.

Cut all that crap! If you are just a wee bit smart you always will have a roof, food and something to wear – the rest is not important!

Well, I can guess what you are thinking: What does she know? Doesn’t she read her own columns about the gadgets she bought recently?

Yes, I quite did during the past half year. And I thoroughly enjoy ever single piece I bought. However, there are many more pieces I would have liked which I didn’t buy – whether my pockets allowed for it or not: I didn’t actually have a use for them!

The lovely top – I have a similar one; the fantastic skirt – I have several skirts for winter and summer; the gorgeous shoes – well, that was a really tough one, but ‘No!’ I have enough shoes.

What worries me is that whenever the budget becomes tight people start fighting over it. At a time where it is more than ever essential to pull together, to develop a plan and then to stick to it, relationships are falling apart causing even more money trouble.

There are no two ways about it: In uncertain times you are better off as a couple because you can pull together resources and share what you have. And there is one more truth I have learned over the years:

Whenever money needs to be saved, time needs to be spent!

Comparing prices, cooking from scratch more often, do your own DIY more – that is all very time consuming, but more easily done when done together. And all of a sudden we might even be talking a bit more with each other, rather than sitting in front of the telly, watching East Enders and wasting our time.

With a bit of imagination and the will to not let a recession lead to a depression, this dip in economy could even be doing something good to us.

The first step on that path will have to be to openly admit that we are in ‘Thrifty Mode’ now: ‘No sorry, not coming to the restaurant’ , ‘Can we meet at home rather then in a coffee place?’, organising book/magazine/clothes/furniture swap with friends and letting each other know about good food sources.

In showing a straight face and pretending nothing is happening to our purses, we will deprive ourselves from all these money saving opportunities. And if it would turn out that a ‘friend’ feels repelled by our new approach to life – Well, wasn’t that a good friend anyway, was she!