As we give up on saving, wegive up on our future | Gaby Hinsliff

For millions of us, the idea of planning for the long term no longer makes sense. We're living for the moment, and the implications are terrifying

Once upon a time there was a Frenchwoman who made it her life's mission to save two of everything. Not just a spare for every possible eventuality - filling every cupboard to bursting, littering her cellar - but a twin for every object she owned, right down to table lamps.

This hoarding made no sense at all, until it emerged that her grandfather once saved his family's lives during the war by producing a spare reel of thread for a German soldier who needed to repair his uniform. Without that favour, they could have died. And so even as an adult, she could only feel safe so long as she had one of everything in reserve.

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