Friday 25 June 2010

The Age of Austerity

In the spirit of reviving the age of austerity, I was reading a copy of Housewife magazine from July 1948, and found some wise words from the government of the time:

If You Believe in Britain

Let's be blunt about it. Today you can betray your country by spending your money or cashing your savings unwisely.

The nation is at work, fighting a war against want. If we lose it we shall be little better off than if we had lost the war against Hitler. Until we win it our greatness as a nation and the security of our children's future cannot be established.

Every time we save less and spend more we are striking a blow against that future. Spending hampers the production drive by taking goods off the export market - and it encourages inflation.

If you believe in Britain, if you want to secure the peace we fought to win, save more, spend less.

Issued by the National Savings Committee.