Dear Mary | 6 June 2009

Q. I am trying to persuade my friends in the more fashionable areas of London that it is now not only socially acceptable but ‘all the rage’ to shop in Lidl, Asda and Netto, as opposed to Waitrose and Partridges in the King’s Road. Judging by the accents I heard on a recent trip, these shops are attracting clientele from across the social spectrum due to the credit crunch. Could you reassure those of my friends who are still wary of venturing into these splendid emporia?

N.McA., London SW1

A. Saving money has always been socially acceptable. Even during the boom years it was a form of one-upmanship to travel Economy across the Atlantic while fellow holidaymakers went Business or First. On re-meeting in Arrivals, you would wrong-foot your smugly well-rested friends by pointing out that, in exchange for no more than eight hours of discomfort, you had effectively ‘made’ a term’s prep-school fees.