Entreprising gardeners are growing their own veg - and are even keeping chickens - as they look to cut costs and improve their personal finances.
Britons worried about debt are making radical moves towards self-sufficiency as they aim to cut their spending and improve their personal finances in the credit crunch.
A surprising new survey from Egg.com has found that one in four Britons have created a vegetable patch in their garden or allotment, cutting food bills by growing their own. A hard core of four percent are even keeping their own chickens.
Meanwhile, one in five are cutting their own hair, while three in five have become dedicated coupon-clippers in order to benefit from retail discounts.
The trend towards parsimony comes as Britain faces its worst recession in decades. Over the last three months of 2008, the economy contracted by 1.5 percent, the sharpest decline since 1980.
Patrick Muir, spokesperson at Egg.com, said: "It's interesting to see that people across the country are going back to basics and adopting imaginative do-it-yourself savings techniques. Simple habits and a simple life are replacing luxuries, and a ‘can-do' attitude is coming to the fore."
Figures released by Credit Action earlier this week suggest that the total national personal debt stands at £1.46 trillion - £45 billion above the total of a year ago. However, the charity also said that the rate at which the debt total was rising was slowly easing, suggesting that many Britons are currently trying to spend and borrow less.
