Could you cut back on fashion splurges, but still look good?
Could you live the life of a princess on a shoestring budget? If you could, then chances are you'd be well adapted to living the life of a freegan.
Freeganism is an anti-consumerist lifestyle, where people embrace the things around them and employ alternative living strategies, as opposed to the standard convential system.
They embrace the community, generosity and social concern and live their lives around that. The more serious freegans out there believe in completely boycotting the consumerism system and reclaiming everything they can for free.
Rent-free houses and alternative eco-friendly means of transport rank highly on their lists of beliefs, as does dumpster diving, where they reclaim food which has been thrown away.
In the past this sort of lifestyle may have been laughed off and dismissed, but now we're all feeling the financial pinch that bit more, is this something we'd be open too?
Perhaps not fully, but in terms of still looking fashionable on a tiny budget, this sort of thinking could be the way of the future- reusing, recycling and asking for things for free.
We live in a Britain now where people are crippled by embarrassment and are afraid to ask for things for free, but as the economic crisis grows, should we be adopting a 'if you don't ask you don't get' sort of mantra?
Or are we simply to proud to root through bargain bins these days, despite knowing we can't afford to live the lifestyle we once coveted so strongly?
Many people have already cut back and it's causing misery in their lives, because they are no longer free to spend and have fun like they used to. By adapting some of the freegan principles however, it could go some way to easing the financial strain.
For example, get thrifty with your clothes and reinvent them in a new way. If there's a dress you no longer wear, consider what else you can do with it.
Buy scraps of material for peanuts from fabric markets and get busy with a needle and thread; not only will you be making use of old clothes, but you'll be making a totally unique look that nobody else has.
Next, consider your beauty regime and how you can make cut backs without actually sacrificing anything you love. Most top quality hair salons advertise for 'models' to come in and have their hair experimented with, which usually includes a colour and cut.
If you're not too proud, and are open to trying new looks then this can be a great way to save, without giving up your favourite luxury. The same goes with make-up, why not pop into a store and ask for a make-over?
Many assistants are happy to give you a make-over and loads of free samples, as they want you to come back and spend with them.
Now the retail market has got so competitive, this has never been more true and there has never been a better time to take advantage.
So, do you have it in you to be a fashionable freegan this season?
FemaleFirst- Laura Terry