I’ve been reading a new book called Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift: An Independent Woman’s Advice in Living Within One’s Means, by Kathleen Anderson and Susan Jones (Berkeley Publishing Group, 2013). The authors, both English Literature professors, offer basic budgeting advice using examples and quotes from Jane Austen’s novels and characters. The fashion section includes discussions on how to repurpose forgotten clothing in your closet, how to succeed at thrift-store shopping, and the advantages of investing in quality classic pieces.
With good humor and wit, the authors poke fun at modern society’s consumptive ways.
“We wonder: Would Jane Austen or her characters have succumbed to personal trainers to achieve a svelte look? Would Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey pore over fashion magazines and think that a pair of $400 shoes was money well spent?”
No they would not and why should we? Although the advice is old-hat for those of us who already practice thrift, the book is entertaining and makes living within one’s means sound like the best trend of the season.
OverDressed for Life 
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