Last November, Michelle McGagh, a 34-year-old journalist, looked at her finances and discovered that every year she spent a lot of money unnecessarily. She allowed herself £30 a week to buy food and household essentials. But she couldn't spend money on anything else - no clothes, no buses or flights, and no meals out.
At first, she tried to see her friends as often as before. She cycled 120 miles to be at a friend's wedding, and camped in their garden to avoid paying for accommodation. But she couldn't join them for dinner in a restaurant, and when they went to the pub, she drank tap water. In the end, she simply went out less, which made her feel a bit lonely.
Of course, she couldn't afford to go abroad, so she missed a trip to Brazil. Here, for the first and only time in the year, she bought food that she had not cooked herself － a bag of chips for £ l .95.
At the end of the year, she had saved £23,000. She was much slimmer and fitter. She says she now feels freer and happier, because she appreciates the simple things in life. But she learned the hard way that you can't really socialize if you don't want to spend money. The evening after her year-long challenge ended, she bought all her friends a drink in the pub. But she has not gone back to her past spending habits.
"Whenever you open your wallet, think about whether what you are buying is something you need or something you want," says McGagh.
A. Why did she decide to take up this challenge?
B. So what's her key tip for those who want to save?
C. She occasionally pays to socialize and go on holiday.
D. She also gained confidence and a sense of adventure.
E. So she made a plan: to stop spending money like that for a year.
F. The following weekend, she rode 60 miles to meet some friends.
G. Her only holiday was a cycling trip to East Anglia, where again she camped.
