By Sarah Edworthy Last Updated: 3:18PM GMT 13 Nov 2008  Sandra Howard, novelist, former model and wife of Micheal Howard MP: 'Liquidising old salad with tomato juice, Hellman's and olive oil makes a lovely gazpacho' Photo: ANDREW CROWLEY  Simon Callow, actor: 'By taking the Tube instead of cabs, I feel virtuous, democratic and rich' Photo: MARTIN POPE  Daisy Goodwin, TV personality: 'Quite a few unfortunate people will receive my bath bombs this Christmas' Photo: GRAHAM JEPSON  Rowley Leigh, chef: 'Forget grouse. Try steak and pigeon pie. Wild rabbit, too - that's cheap as chips' Photo: ANDREW CROWLEY  Nancy Dell'Olio: 'Keep spending and you'll help the economy' Photo: PA  A short while ago we were recycling to save the planet. Now we are developing frugal habits to save our own finances. Hard times have prompted a new-found pride, even competitiveness, in parsimony - and whose mind is not set on it?  The credit crunch may have hit the rich first and hardest, but we are all vulnerable to trickle-down misery. In the stampede to cancel, curb and down-scale, our economy measures are emerging in idiosyncratic ways.  For one man's luxury is another's necessity. Once the scrimping mindset takes hold, it is all-consuming.  One friend has turned thriftiness into a cottage industry, collecting sacks of windfall apples to make into jars of jelly to give in lieu of a bottle of wine, chocolates or flowers.  A truly shopaholic friend, on the other hand, has adopted the drastic tactic of acquiring a puppy so that she is physically prevented from crossing the threshold of boutiques. For her, the cost of vets and dog food outweighs projected expenditure on her fashion habit.  Competitive frugality is the new sport and everyone's a winner. Boast about an economy measure and you've shared a tip and are keeping down with the Joneses. Here we ask 10 celebrities their top tips for surviving the crunch.  "I'm always frugal because I'm a war baby and was brought up saving leftovers to make into soup. In the summer, I put old salad that's hanging around in the fridge into a liquidiser with tomato juice, a good squidge of Hellmann's and olive oil. It makes a lovely sort of gazpacho. Better at this time of year is to cook an onion in butter and throw in any old vegetables. And always make chicken stock from bones."  "I've taken to using public transport. This is why you can now see empty cabs all over London. My cab bill was often £30 or even £50 a day. I'm now an Oyster boy all the way and am astonished to discover that the Tube is almost always quicker than a cab, with the additional advantage that the phone doesn't work down there. As a result, I feel virtuous, democratic and rich."  "Parsimony is my middle name. I've been splitting cotton wool balls for years and I've now become that ghastly Englishwoman who won't put the heating on. I wear more and more jerseys and sit at my desk in thick socks with a hot water bottle. I also buy black bras, not white, to last longer. White ones always go grey. And I'm extremely economical with kitchen paper. When I comb my boys' hair for nits, I use the same sheet of paper towel full of nits to wipe the table afterwards. I'm really trying to be careful. I get a perverse pleasure from not buying."  "I am considering sending last year's left-over Christmas cards this year. And, indeed the left-over cards from 2006, 2005 and 2004. We normally put family photographs on our cards, and there are always a few dozen left in the bottom of the box. And the children looked less scruffy in the past."  "You don't have to have grouse at this time of year. I'd recommend steak and pigeon pie, made with some old braising steak and a couple of wood pigeons. Stew for an hour and a half and put in the pie crust with some gravy. People love it. Wild rabbit, too - that's cheap as chips."  "I've discovered how to make your own bath bombs, which is brilliant fun to do and can also save a fortune if you have daughters. You can make them from the contents of your store cupboard: bicarbonate of soda and any smelly stuff such as lavender or left-over essential oil or scent. They make a fantastic fizz. Quite a few unfortunate people will be the recipients of these from me this Christmas."  "We've started taking our children on long country walks. They complain bitterly beforehand, but we always have a fantastic time. With the money I save on theme parks and cinema tickets, I can buy myself a couple of pints of beer in a country pub while the children stand outside in the rain."  "You can make incredibly delicious and beautiful chocolate truffles really easily, just from mixing melted dark chocolate and hot double cream. You then cut the ganache into small balls, roll it in melted lighter chocolate and sprinkle with cocoa powder. They make the best presents. My favourite recipe is Easy Chocolate Truffles from www.chocolate-source.co.uk. They're a winner - as long as you watch the simmering like a hawk."  "I recently sat down with the intention of doing a household budget, listing all our outgoings to see what we spend. That was a first, as I'm quite frugal anyway. I've always turned out lights as my grandma used to. I would recommend it as a useful exercise. I concluded that no deliberate action is necessary yet. We are in a holding position, bracing ourselves."  "When the economy slows down, as it is now, I believe it's best to help keep businesses alive by continuing to spend your money. It has no value in the bank. Keep spending and you help the economy and help keep morale high. So, why not shop for personal pleasure and feel satisfied about the good you're doing for society?"
Take it from the stars, says Sarah Edworthy: keeping down with the Joneses is    the trendy solution to the credit crisis