It might be grim out there and we might be in the grip of a recession, but there's no reason to be miserable. Play your cards right and you can live it up, like yesterday (well almost) at a fraction of the cost.
It's all a question of getting to grips with the new "recession chic". Those in the know are already doing it - bagging bargains, saving a few quid and making the most of the new austerity.
Join the "recessionistas"
A few years ago these were the people whose thrifty ways made you cringe - embarrassingly producing money-saving vouchers when it came to paying the bill in restaurants or spending ages at the supermarket check-out sifting through vouchers for 10p off here, 30p off there, buying clothes from charity shops and haggling over every purchase down to the last penny. But now everyone in the know is at it.
And the double bonus is that in a deflationary environment your money goes further, so what cash you do have can go further. And with a nose for a money-saving tactic here and a bargain-hunting eye on the competition, you too can survive the recession in style.
Here's how.
Eat on the cheap
While eating out may have become more of a treat than it was before the recession started - it's also become cheaper.
Some restaurant chains are running endless two-for-one offers, while others offer half-price promotions back-to-back. Voucher websites have become a runaway success, with a 122% increase in unique visitors in the past year at some sites. All you need to join in is a computer, a printer and some chutzpah and you'll have your cut-price meal.
Fortunately the eco brigade made requesting tap water rather than the costly bottled version de rigeur before the credit crunch took hold, so that's an easy saving if you're not ready to go the whole hog.
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Dress to impress for less
While the owner of fashion chains Karen Millen, Oasis and Principles has gone into administration, sales at Primark - which sells fashion items at bargain prices - have risen 5% in the past six months.
But if you can't quite bring yourself to shop at Primark there are plenty of other options. Aside from the seemingly endless sale signs plastered all over high street shop windows, thrifty fashionistas are bagging bargains - and designer ones too - at out-of-town "designer villages".
With 30% to 70% off the prices charged at designer stores, McArthur Glen promises bargain buys for fans of Armani, Lacoste and Hugo Boss at its seven outlets nationwide. Then there's Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, which offers similar discounts on brands such as Jimmy Choo, Paul Smith, Ozwald Boateng and Dior.
As Maureen Hinton, of Retail analysts Verdict, said: "Consumers are still interested in premium and designer ranges. If they can't afford these they will go to the outlets."
Borrow some recession chic
Or you can go one step further and borrow. In fact, clothes swapping, charity shopping and recycling have all seen a boom in the past six months, as people try to make-do with what they've got and try and stay on top of the ever-changing fashion trends at the same time.
And the swapping movement has embraced more than just clothes, books can be exchanged - either through the "leave a book, take a book" libraries that have sprung up in cafes and pubs across the UK or online through websites such as Readitswapit.co.uk.
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Spam and offal are back on the menu
You'd better believe it. Spam, corned beef, tinned fruit, Arctic roll, even offal is back for the true recessionistas.
These are the people who we may have poured scorn on years ago when they said Lidl was just as good as Waitrose (just about a million times cheaper) but we're all behind them at the check-out now.
Leftovers are back on today's menu
Good for the pocket and great for the environment, it's utterly cool to rustle up last night's leftovers into a nutritious meal.
The UK throws away 6.7 million tons of food every year, most of which is still safe to eat. This year it is estimated the UK will bin food worth up to £10 billion - equivalent to £420 for every household. That's according to WRAP, the Waste & Resources Action Programme.
But we are learning. In fact, our grandmothers would be proud. We're getting better at planning meals so that food isn't wasted, using up food that is already in the fridge and cupboard before buying new food, measuring the correct portion sizes so that we don't cook too much and using our freezers.
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There is such a thing as a free lunch
We working Brits spend £5.5 billion buying lunch each year, while at the same time we throw out almost the same value of perfectly good lunch foods that are left to rot away in the fridge.
So how about a free lunch? OK it's not totally "free" but cheaper than the £3.33, which is the average daily spend on pre-packed sarnies.
And it doesn't have to be all pappy sliced white either. Fill a pitta or a tortilla wrap, rustle up a quick soup, cook some pasta or eat that last slice of cake at your desk. It might once have been a bit naff and the preserve of interns and first-jobbers, but now all sorts are taking their lunch to work with them.
Holidays from the recession
As airlines struggle to survive the recession they are offering some of their best deals ever. Easyjet has domestic flights from £9.99 and fares for further afield starting from £20. Ryanair has just flogged a million seats for a quid, and has also brought back its £1 car hire deal.
Just keep an eye on the "extras" charged - although if you've only paid £1 for your seat, then £10 to put your baggage in the hold isn't too much of an imposition, I suppose.
But it's not just the no-frills airlines which are keen to get you onboard, British Airways is running a sale on its business class fares until March 24 and Virgin Atlantic is running a special offer every week in its 25th birthday year.
Then check out the hotel chains for deals. You can currently get the best deals by going straight to Travelodge, which is offering rooms for £19 a night, and there are also deals running with Mercure and Novotel, which are part of the same group. De Vere hotels has been offering rooms at £19 a night and even a recession-busting £10 a pop.
Drive away the deal of the century
Visit any garage forecourt at the moment and you'll find it thronging with potential buyers. And there's a good reason for it. According to Which? Car there's never been a better time to buy new.
The consumer magazine has put together a "target discount" list and says that by haggling you can buy brand new and beat the depreciation that usually occurs as soon as you drive off the forecourt.
If you're buying a Fiat Grande Punto, aim to get a discount of 27% off the super-mini (a saving of up to £3,800). You should push for a 28% discount off a Ford Focus (up to £6,000 off), while a Ford Mondeo should be discounted by around 26% (a saving of up to £7,000).
If you're after a little more bang for your buck and have your eye on an Audi A8 then don't drive off with anything less than a £15,000 saving (19% off the price), or if you fancy a brand spanking new sporty little number like the Mazda RX-8 then talk your way to a £5,100 reduction: a hefty 21% off the list price.
As Richard Headland, the editor or Which? Car, said: "You could say there's never been a better time to buy a car. The downturn has thrown the car industry into turmoil and that means there are some amazing car deals available."
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Specials
And if you don't like having to drive a hard bargain yourself, keep an eye out for dealer specials. Many dealerships are currently shifting stock by the truckload by selling pre-registered 07 and 08 plates at knock-down prices to canny buyers who know they're getting a bargain.
And check out the offerings online. Broadspeed was giving away a free Mercedes Sport with every Aston Martin sold and has also sold Dodge Avengers at a price of two for one, while drivethedeal.com can slash thousands off the price of its new stock.
As Jennifer Creevy from retail trade magazine, Retail Week, said: "The key thing that has changed between this year and last is that no one wants to buy anything full price."
And now you know you don't have to, you can start taking advantage of the recession. You never know, the economic downturn could turn out to be the best thing that's ever happened when it comes to your finances.
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