Angela Merkel’s austerity postergirl, the thrifty Swabian housewife

http://www.guardian.co.uk

Angela Merkel’s austerity postergirl, the thrifty Swabian housewife

Frugal housekeeping and balanced budgeting stems from an area with a history of poverty and a religious avoidance of worldly amusementsIn the sleepy, picturesque towns and villages of south-west Germany, the paragons of thrift are doing what they do best. They shop frugally, use credit cards rarely and save up to a third of a property’s value before applying for a mortgage.