There has never been a better time for us to start taking saving seriously. Our hyper-meritocratic world has long glorified the notion of constantly earning more in order to fuel victory in some futile race to lifestyle and possessions. And so the careful saver was always the subject of ridicule. Then along came COVID-19. Jobs disappeared overnight, and those who kept theirs could forget about pay rises any time soon. Suddenly, those who had a nest egg and knew how to stretch every cent looked clever. At the same time, the global shutdown brought out hitherto wasteful ways into sharp focus. As with smart saving, nobody was cracking jokes about sustainable, responsible living. Which is why now is the moment for champion saver (professional Scrooge, if you will) R.A. Dalkey to share an essential truth: sensible saving is not only good for your bank balance, it's good for the planet too. It's the right thing to do. And, as he already showed in his extreme budget travel books, sensible spending is neither dull nor boring! In fact, it makes marvellous things possible…
