As a general rule, I try not to think about Tory ministers while I bathe. But recently, while taking a post-workout shower in my sports bra, its wicking fabric creating a dry zone on my skin, I thought about the environment secretary, George Eustice, and his advice that families struggling to cope during the current cost of living crisis ought to switch to value brands. Eustice was quickly lampooned for patronising the public with this staggeringly obvious suggestion, and for minimising the pain people are experiencing through the biggest drop in living standards since the 50s.
Meanwhile, I was weeks into my exploration of “extreme frugality” – a money-saving practice that is booming online. Somewhere between a hobby and a way of life, extreme frugallers take money-consciousness to new levels, utilising ingenious, creative and sometimes controversial methods that often require a leap of faith. Such as wearing your bra in the shower. The logic goes that as I’m already paying for energy and water for a shower, I may as well use it to clean bras, too. This way, I reduce the number of washing machine loads I need.
