In a climate of cutbacks, lay offs and instability, spending on treats is hard to justify. Yes we aren’t giving up our summer holidays, but we are choosing to spend them in the Costa del Devon rather than the far warmer and generally more enticing Costa del Sol. We still get our haircut, but pass on the root touch up and make full use of the free fringe trim. We too want to go out for dinner, but we are opting for Indians at BYO restaurants over French bistros with extensive wine lists.

Britain has generally been a nation of savers and thrifty shoppers, but as we turned from tree-hugging hippies into mobile-loving yuppies the spending spree began. But, the most recent recession put pay to all that.

We have gone back to our roots and rekindled our love of thriftiness; but this time we are doing it in a completely new way. We all love a deal; but we are not willing to compromise on value. We are rapidly becoming a nation of savvy shoppers, not satisfied with anything less than the best quality yet at a bargain basement price. Even Woolworth’s, the original Pound-stretching shop, couldn’t find a place in our value-hunting society.

The way we shop is changing. We are waiting until deals gets slapped into our laps – or in front of our eyeballs in the case of Groupon – before we even think we want to purchase such a thing. What a great business model! Businesses benefit because they get to sell things they aren’t selling enough of, what with the tough economy and all, and we the consumer get to enjoy something we hadn’t planned on, at a reduced price.

The secret to Groupon’s success? A deal’s a deal; even if we had never considered the product before, when we see a huge 50% OFF sign, curiosity gets the better of us and we start to think we need the latest toothbrush, a trip to the zoo or a party at some exclusive club in the West End. And honestly, isn’t variety the spice of life? Use Sainsbury’s advertising slogan as advice: try something new today.