How did the remainder of the Frugality Challenge work out? Well, it still worked out pretty expensive, but that’s December for you (as well as all the Christmas food, gifts and socialising, there’s the car MOT, road tax and TV licence to contend with).

By the end of the month I’d spent £339 on groceries – most of this was on Christmas goodies – but I have no doubt that the bills will shoot WAAAY down now that we’re into the proper austere winter months.

Being mindful of one’s spending habits can become addictive, and of course peering over one’s shoulder to see how other people organise their finances is an ageless joy that never tires. Over Christmas I enjoyed this article in The Guardian about a Millennial’s spending habits, which sums up accurately what it is to be a young working woman in the city (i.e. spendy), but was saddened to read about the backlash that the writer faced for daring to have a social life at the age of 28.

Give her ten years and she’ll be spending her evenings working out how to make the most of her leftovers, just like the rest of us. (Incidentally, the joy of Christmas for me lies in leftover creativity. This year the pork stuffing was simmered into a magnificent fennel-scented ragu, and leftover goose was baked with saffron, onions and rice to make a delicious biryani).

Will the frugality challenge continue into 2019? Elements of it will, certainly. I don’t think of it as being ‘frugal’ or ‘austere’ though, I just think of it as being sensible. Why waste your cash on stuff you don’t need, with all the environmental and social problems that that brings? We’re better off saving it for lovely long family days in Cornwall come the spring.

Normal Veg Patch service will resume next week.