Make Do and Mend

John Lewis department store in the UK, is publishing a booklet filled with old fashioned advice to help consumers ride out the recession. The booklet, which runs to more than 30 pages, taps into a desire by families to return to a more sustainable way of life, getting full use out of products rather than dumping them in the bin and buying new.

These tips range from how to use the inside of a banana skin as a substitute for shoe polish, to protecting the screen of your MP3 player or mobile phone by cutting out a piece of peel-off plastic overlay - or the excellent money-saving idea to freeze leftover wine in ice-cube trays which can be added to stews and casseroles without the need to open a full bottle.

Managing director Andy Street said: 'This guide is designed to help households to get the very best out of what they have. 'Our lives are far more complicated than they were in the 1940s and we've forgotten some of the basic principles that can save a lot of time and money.

Mr Street pointed out that the recession appears to have triggered a cultural change.

'We're witnessing a reawakening of interest in traditional skills, including creating and maintaining things,' he said. 'We believe there has been a sea change in our attitudes towards possessions.