Le chic c\'est cheap
money,style,lifestyle
Woman shopping
By Anna Smith
Live a stylish life on a budget with our credit crunch friendly guide to being a fabulously canny recessionista.
Hunt down restaurant deals
money,eating out,restaurant
Woman paying the bill in a restaurant
The recession isn\'t all bad news - we\'re losing track of the amount of ‘credit crunch lunches\' popping up all over the place. Really, there\'s no reason to go for a full price menu these days. Fashionable eateries such as Zilli\'s in London\'s Soho are offering three course set menus for around £12, with many others including
YO! Sushi offering huge discounts. Try handbag.com\'s
offers page and
moneysavingexpert.com for a list of discount vouchers online, and
toptable.co.uk for regular deals in your local haunts.
Have a clothes swap party
fashion advice,money
Woman taking off her dress over her head
This is massive fun, it\'s good for the environment (no new purchases to add to the growing amount of textile waste) and you\'re likely to get better finds than you would in your average busy charity shop. So - invite half a dozen or so girls round and eye up their cast offs. Each item they bring gets a ticket that they can use to swap for another person\'s unwanted gear.
Tip: when putting the guest list together, make sure you have more than one person of a similar size, or they won\'t have anyone to swap with.
Sign up to a designer clothing exchange
fashion advice,money,style,designer
Woman wearing black with necklace
If you\'d rather get hard cash after your wardrobe clear-out, hit your nearest designer clothing exchange with a few choice items that really stand out. Most will pay you a percentage of what they make, or offer you a better deal to swap it for another item. Either way, you\'re quids in.
Check out the cheap shops
Primark,money,style,matalan
Woman looking at her boots
You\'re probably already on this one, but it\'s worth repeating: shops like Primark and Matalan can be amazing for bargains, and they can be really on-trend. You\'d be hard pushed to spend more than £20 in Primark: we recommend a run around the accessories section when shopping for a girl friend\'s birthday. That way she\'ll get five items instead of one, and you\'ll get change left for a little something for yourself.
Entertain
money,style,lifestyle
Girls drinking and talking together
If you regularly catch up with mates in the local wine bar, try switching to each other\'s houses now and again. Everyone brings a bottle or two (or better yet, a dish to share), and you\'ve saved a fair old fortune. You know you\'ll always find a seat, too - bonus.
Marks and Spencer/Oxfam
Marks & Spencer,Oxfam,money,style
Woman sorting through her wardrobe
If old Marks and Sparks clothes are cluttering up your wardrobe, take them down to your local Oxfam shop and you\'ll get a £5 M&S voucher for free. You have to spend £35 or more but it\'s valid for clothing, homeware or beauty products, so you could use it for presents as well as that top you\'ve been lusting after.
Wine not?
wine,money,style,lifestyle
Glass of wine
It\'s all too easy to spend a fortune in the pub, so follow a few simple rules to save cash. When you\'re ordering wine, check the price and make sure you\'re specific with the bar person: if you just order a ‘red wine\' a posh place may give you a ridiculously expensive glass. And of course, it\'s cheaper to buy a bottle when your mates are drinking the same. Also, if you\'re embarrassed about asking for tap water in a restaurant, don\'t be: makes perfect sense.
Go DVD crazy
Film,money,style
Woman watching dvd
If you\'re still shelling out for DVDs you may only watch once, it\'s time to sign up to a service like
lovefilm.com. Monthly packages start from £3.99 and you can watch as many as you like once you\'ve sent the last disc back. And if you really want to see the Mamma Mia! extras again, you can always order it again in a month\'s time!
Recycle
money,style,lifestyle
Woman doing craft project
Whenever you go to throw a container out, think creatively. Slap a bit of gold paint on that ice cream tub and you\'ve got a cracking jewellery box; use that gorgeous empty Absinthe bottle as a dispenser for mouthwash. If in doubt, just think: "What would Blue Peter do?"
Budget holidays
money,style,lifestyle
Woman jumping on the beach
If you fancy a break in an exotic destination, try contacting a holiday house swapping company such as homelink.org - they offer temporary property swaps in hip cities all over the world. If you’ve no destination in mind, check the train, bus and airline websites for special offers to scenic towns, and then try a site like laterooms.com to snag last minute accommodation at a fraction of the usual price. Then you can afford that guilt-free glass of champers at the airport. Cheers!
