Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista

hat. That sort of thing.’
    Last year I bought Ali a bracelet from Vivienne Westwood. I could imagine the look on her face if I presented her with a hat I had crocheted myself. Notwanting to be negative, I said, ‘Oh, yes, I think I might have seen some of that. Jude Sky-Plussed it for me.’
    ‘Sky Plus!’
    Oh, God, why did I mention the Sky Plus?
    ‘That’s a bit of an extravagance when you don’t have a job, isn’t it?’
    ‘I just haven’t got round to cancelling it yet …’
    Needless to say, that lunch was not ideal preparation for my loan discussion with Dad. I felt sure Celia had done it on purpose – she suspected I might ask for money and so she not very subtly demonstrated to my parents that I was still spending money on luxuries. She’s a sneaky cow. Back at my parents’ house I sat down on the sofa next to Dad, who was watching From Russia with Love on ITV for about the millionth time. I rested my head on his shoulder.
    ‘You all right, Cass?’ he asked. ‘Sorry about that chap. Rotten thing to do.’
    ‘Mmmm. I’ll be OK. It’s just that everything’s happened all at once, you know. The job, Dan, worries about money …’
    ‘You want to listen to your sister about that,’ Dad said. God, I hated Celia sometimes. ‘You have to be more careful about what you spend your money on.’
    ‘I know, I will be more careful. I am being more careful. But it’s still really tough, you know? London’s such an expensive place.’
    ‘Why don’t you think about moving back up here then? Not back home with us, but back to Kettering. Rent would be much cheaper.’
    This conversation was really not going the way I wanted it to.
    ‘Well, perhaps if I was really struggling. But I’ve made a life for myself in London, now. All my friends are there.’
    ‘Your family’s here,’ he countered.
    Oh, for God’s sake. I’d just have to come right out and ask.
    ‘Dad, do you think there’s any chance you might be able to lend me a bit of cash? Just to tide me over for a month or two, to help out with the rent, the bills, the essential stuff?’ Probably best not to mention my idea of going to a retreat to get my head sorted. Dad sighed heavily and switched off the TV.
    ‘Susan,’ he called out to my mother who was in the kitchen making tea. ‘You’d better come in here.’ My mother appeared, carrying a tea tray. ‘Cass has asked us for a loan,’ Dad told her. ‘I thought we should all talk about this together.’
    My parents had anticipated the possibility that I might hit them for a bit of cash. They had discussed the matter at length and had decided that it was in my best interest to refuse.
    ‘I can assure you that it’s not in my best interest,’ I protested. ‘It’s not in my best interest to be thrown out on the street by my landlord, is it?’
    ‘Cassie, you’re paying for an expensive gym andusing that Sky Plus thingamy. I don’t think we’re quite at the eviction stage yet, are we?’ Dad said. ‘You need to sort this out for yourself. You need to learn to live a bit more frugally. We’re all having to do it. Everyone’s having to tighten their belts. In any case, we don’t have a lot to spare. Not now that we’re building the conservatory.’
    ‘What conservatory?’
    ‘Out at the back,’ Mum cut in. ‘Off the kitchen. It’s going to be lovely. A real sun trap.’
    ‘We might grow tomatoes,’ Dad said. Super. ‘And there’s the camper van …’ he went on.
    The what now? ‘The camper van?’
    ‘Oh, yes, didn’t we tell you? Your mum and I are going in with Cee and Michael, buying a van so that we can go to some new places, you know, Devon and Cornwall, maybe to the Lakes. Been a while since we went anywhere other than Bournemouth.’
    My parents, the last of the great explorers.
    That night after dinner Dad went off to bed (‘Early start tomorrow’) while Mum and I stayed up talking in the kitchen.
    ‘He won’t change his mind, will he?’ I asked. ‘About the loan?’
    ‘He won’t and neither will I. Cassie, you know that you live a bit of an extravagant lifestyle. We understand you enjoy that, and that it’s hard to give it all up, but times are hard and you’re just going to have to prioritise. But I don’t really want to talk about all themoney malarkey – I’m sure you’ve had plenty of tips from Celia. I’m worried about other things. This business with Dan, for example. Are you really all right about that?’
    I had the most