economising this summer

summer is usually a good chance to practise some self discipline to attempt to be a little frugal.

i know how easy it is to flit money away on spontaneous wanders into town and drinks here and there, but this year this seems all the more relevant, with the papers (globally) building up extra concern over credit crunches and mortgage companies folding here and there, and the media creating words like "staycation"; even if our purses don't seem to be in a dire situation at the moment, it feels like they should be.

i find cutting down on my vices really rather difficult, so have come up with a few ideas to give a whirl over the summer with just the right balance of sacrifice and satisfaction.

clothes swapping

rather than a stroll through the shops, where your heart will inevitably attach itself to a pretty little mass produced dress, avoid them for a while and conduct clothes swapping get together with friends instead. i always find the novelty of somebody elses wardrobe exciting and when you consider the percentage of your wardrobe that you honestly don't wear, it seems only logical to share the love.

be a scab

there seems to be an unreasonable stigma surrounding freebies; undoubtedly fuelled by the materialistic messages projected by the world that we live in. ironic seeing as the very same consumerist driven industries are actually giving us stacks of free stuff and it's easy not to notice. are your ears pricking up? have a flick through your magazine archives. shampoo, conditioner, foundation, moisteriser, perfume? a whole collection of samples that can save you a trip to boots.

love your hair

no, not that kind. when it comes to getting my hair cut and i'm finding it difficult to part with the cash, i book myself into a student night at the local salon. it is either free or about a fiver and you can go for a cut or a colour. the standard isn't as high as a qualified hair dresser, but there is always a teacher on hand to help out students so i never worry about leaving with a green crew cut.

rediscover the library.

unleash your inner nerd, and dig out your library card. who said these places were out of touch? these days they supply free internet access, dvds and cds as well as books. not only does this mean you can save all the money you would fork out at a record shop, you also end up discovering completely new genres.

street teams

clothes, appearance and books etc are pretty much covered, but buying tickets for gigs is an inevitable money gobbler, so what's the solution? many bands and venues have street teams that you can sign up with. you may have noticed cool kids wandering around with a clipboard at the start of a gig asking for email addresses or manning the merchandising store. these clever thrifty people are getting to hang out as their favourite bands play, and for free too. alternatively, find out about writing gig reviews for a local paper.