The humble black woolen beret as modeled by it girls du jour Peaches Geldof, Alexa Chung and Daisy Lowe is extortionately priced in most high street shops - usually at least 15 euro - except Dunnes pricing at a recession friendly 3 euro.

Fashionable and cosy when turning on the heating in October just can't be justified

Nailicious

Beautiful hands need beautiful nails. Men love them, women respect you for them and nothing boosts confidence like tailored talons.

For those of us who cannot grow them naturally however, tastefully finished gel nails are a saviour. Usually priced at eighty big ones - a new salon on Liffey Street is offering an introductory deal of 65 yo yos.

Lucky ladies or gentlemen without nibbled extremities should keep filing and buffing especially in bitter finger chapping nail splitting weather.

So try a selection of excellent emery boards in fruity colours from Penneys at 1.50.....
how can they produce them so cheaply?!

Hermes or High Street?

Nothing is as timeless as a fabulous Hermes scarf. Tie on to last years 'it bag' for an instant revamp, wrap hair up in a fifties housewife style or channel your inner landed gentry lady and wear with equestrian elegance.

Urban Outfitters are the place to go for a selection of very reasonable yet Hermes - ish scarves like the above UO offering.

Think Grace Kelly or maybe an effortless Parisian chic neck knot and you are the right track.

Lunatic Fringe

My hair has a chemical addiction. It also grows really fast. Suffice to say that peroxide is burning through not only my scalp but my hard earned cash. One head of highlights plus a trim in Tony & Guy or Peter Mark, not to mention any number of smaller high end salons, was averaging at 200.

So I tried Lunatic Hairdressing school. They are trainees but the result was perfect honey blonde tresses. I was also impressed that they hit every millimetre of hair leaving no tell tale dark roots - natural blonde perfection at 70 notes.

That cannot be beaten!

Think of recession as a detox.

A time to purge those thoughtless buys and needless spends from your system.

Unlike certain recession hyping media sources (I'm looking at you, Sunday Times Style) no one is suggesting hacking the sleeves from an innocent Vanessa Bruno coat whose only crime is to be last season.

Irishrecessionista is a guide to living stylishly at minimal cost.

Tip 1:







Any Milano fans out there should scour the house for yesterday's Sunday Times. It contains a complimentary main course voucher valid until 23rd November 2008.

That said Mr (I'm always) Right and I were in the restaurant for over two hours because of poor service. Nonetheless, garlic bread, a pizza, pasta dish, glass of wine and a soft drink came in at a reasonable under thirty big ones.

Happy half price munching.