On the contrary, I think it's a very good idea for the lady in the OP to try to get something as cheaply as possible, if not free, if she is struggling for money. It's something I tend to do when I'm buying something

My dismay lies in her use of "Credit Crunch" in her email, which obviosuly she is more than entitled to do.
In my opinion (and this is where people get confused and start claiming that I "don't have the right" etc. I DO have the right because freedom of speech and freedom of thought are still very much a reality) a lot people are currently all too eager to jump on the "Credit Crunch" bandwagon.
I personally know a lot of people who have complained about the "Credit Crunch" being the reason for their monetary problems but after speaking to them at length it's more than apparent that it's their own financial negligence that's got them into bother.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't have a lot of time for whingers and whiners when the very things they are whinging about is a result of their own actions. Of course there are genuine cases of hardship that are a result of other peoples' actions and I do have compassion for them, but as I mentioned in my earlier post, I'm making a generalisation based on the facts and information via other sources that I have encountered.
If you find my opinions to be "crap" then that's just fine. You too have the right to your opinion. It's a shame because most of the people I talk to have the same thought's about the subject as I do but when it comes to putting across their opinions they don't bother due to the "You can't say that" briggade hauling them over the coals.