Thriftober - and out

For the past 30 days, many Money readers - and some Money writers - have been taking part in Thriftober.

The plan was for readers to spend all of October thinking about what they spent and where they spent it, and not spending at all if they could help it.

It sprang from a column by Sunday Money's Melissa Browne. Melissa's solution to her habit of almost unconscious spending is the same as for her other weakness, chocolate. She goes cold turkey. "About once a year," she wrote, "I simply decide to go for a month without buying anything new."

The idea of thrift and spending wisely or not at all has struck a chord with readers. Over the month we've been hit with thrifty tips from the clever (shop as if it were the 1970s and only buy products available then) to the bizarre (soak razorblades in olive oil to prolong their life).

And now, with one day left until the end of the month, it's time to think about how good spending habits can translate to the rest of the year, something which, week in, week out, Money will be helping you with.

Be thrifty!

Richard Hughes

Money editor

Was Thriftober for you? Have you stayed the course? Go to

theage.com.au/money and tell me

your stories.

Thriftober - and out