Living large for less

Author India Knight. Photo / Supplied

Economy mince, cheap clothes, growing your own food, paper-bag lunch: for someone like me (ie someone with a penchant for all things expensive and slightly ridiculous), being thrifty sounds about as exciting as a Coldplay concert. But that is what India Knight has set out to change, with The Thrift Book: Live well and spend less (Fig Tree Press: $40). It is unlike all those other money-saving books - it's not boring or preachy. Knight, a writer and columnist for the Sunday Times, is realistic and funny with her tips, which range from sensible supermarket shopping ("Don't.") to personal budgets. And whether it sounds enticing or not, the fact is, we probably all need to do a bit of thrifty living at the moment. We spoke to her about the book, shopping in the recession and making thrift sexy.

When and why did you decide to write The Thrift Book?

After I had to borrow a huge amount of money to stave off the threat of bankruptcy, and find a way of economising so that I could start paying it back. Weirdly, or not, this coincided with the downturn.

What is your definition of "thrifty living"?

It's living well for less. It's making a collection of changes that result in having more money (or less overdraft) in your account at the end of the month - but, crucially, without feeling like your life has gone from colour to black and white.

What do you think The Thrift Book's point of difference is?

A) I've lived it, and continue to live it - it's do-able fact, not theory. B) It's aimed at people like me - people who like good food and pretty things, not people who are excited by the idea of living off cheese parings while wearing sackcloth. C) I can write, so hopefully the whole thing is cheering and inspiring rather than dry and depressing.

Thrifty living isn't considered very sexy, so how did you set out to make it fun and interesting?

That's most people's problem with the idea of thrift, and it was certainly mine too. But there are ways of being thrifty that are fun, creative, put you in a good mood and make you feel happy, and they're the ones I wanted to focus on. My book isn't a book for mean people - it's one for people who love life and are naturally generous but need to tighten their belt.

Do you think being thrifty and crafty is just a fad that people have jumped on? Do you think it will last long beyond the recession?

Oh God, yes. Absolutely. There's no going back. Why throw money away when you can live well for so much less than you've been used to? You'd have to be mad.

What would be your first piece of advice for a friend wanting to be thrifty?

Boring but true - sit down and write a list of absolutely every single thing you spend your money on - not just mortgage repayments but the coffee you have on the way to work, the muffin at tea time, the new socks you bought last week. Add it up and compare against income. It's not nice - you'll probably get a horrible shock - but it's got to be done if you're serious about getting a grip.

What area of your life do you struggle to cut back on the most (fashion, food etc)?

This is going to sound too good to be true, but I don't struggle at all in my day-to-day existence. I have everything I need, and everything I have - or eat - is really nice. I suppose I sometimes have fantasies about taking my family on amazing holidays abroad.

In times of a recession, many fashion writers advise buying cheaper pieces from chain stores - but this can sometimes sit uncomfortably as those cheap pieces are often made in terrible conditions.

What's your take on fashion in a recession?

Never buy crap, recession or no recession. It's ugly and it's made by children paid 2 cents a day. A decent coat will last you 10 years, not one season. My advice is shop less, but shop better.

What is your reaction to the view that thrifty living is a middle-class concern (the middle-class don't buy things, which leads to the poor who make the products losing their jobs, recession continues and so on)?

It is a middle-class concern - if I was a single mother living on the 17th floor of a housing estate, rather than a single mother living in a nice big house, I'd tell myself to stuff my book where the sun don't shine (I'd be missing out on quite a lot of useful advice, but anyway). I am not offering any solution to chronic poverty - but I am offering solutions to the middle classes who really feel the pinch, and who deserve solutions as much as anyone else does. As for not spending money: many of us don't have very much to spend, so the question is academic. We still buy food, services, petrol, clothes - we just buy them intelligently and thoughtfully, rather than like credit-happy morons. I think that's a good thing for everybody.

Are you sick of hearing and reading about the recession yet?

Yeah, but I think we're hunkered in for the duration, so we'd better all get used to it.

How to be thrifty

Some of our favourite tips from The Thrift Book.

1 Shop for food locally, daily, buying only precisely what you need. Or shop online - "it discourages that kind of weird, slightly dazed aisle-browsing most of us do".

2 Learn to iron really well and use spray starch to make old, droopy clothes look like new again.

3 Share things with your neighbours! Think newspapers, lawnmowers, produce, books, skills.

4 Use your library. "It's free, it's warm, it's calming, it's cosy and it contains within it information on every conceivable subject you might be interested in." And make use of museums - "they feed your soul as well as your brain."

5 Use oatmeal as an exfoliator. Olive or almond oil works great as a moisturiser, lip balm or hand treatment.