Frugal Fergal

Today on BBC Radio 2, as part of their "Don't Cancel Christmas" week long special, they had Alvin Hall on the Jeremy Vine show.

He provided 7 great "sins" of Christmas shopping that you should attempt to avoid at all costs. They'll not only save you money, they'll also save you a lot of stress and anxiety too.

Unfortunately, there's no written record of these, so I've paraphrased the tips from the "Listen Again" feature. These are Alvin Halls' Seven Deadly Sins of Christmas:

1. Emotionally Driven Spending

   This is where people buy lavish gifts to try and show their love or out of guilt for things like being away from the family for extended periods of time, or even on Christmas day itself. Don't. A well thought out affordable gift is better than something excessively expensive.

2. Resist Setting Limits

   These are the people who don't put a limit on their Christmas spending in any way. They go out and buy whatever they want without any regard for the cost. Not everyone has a limitless Christmas budget, so if you do, don't inflict this on other. If you don't, don't even contemplate spending the money.

3. Topping up Gifts

   Women are most prone to this. This is when you set a budget for a gift, say £50, then find a fantastic gift on special for only £35 and then feel guilty, and obliged to "top-up" to meet the £50 budget you set. Don't. Think of the £15 you saved as a gift for yourself. Don't spend it for the sake of it though.

4. Overspending on Children

   This is easily the biggest expense for parents with kids. Children like a few well chosen gifts. Don't spend a fortune by buying loads of gifts: your kids won't remember much after the event anyway.

5. Overspending on Food

   We've all done it. Don't go out and spend a fortune on food for your Christmas dinner. Remember, it's only one day and chances are there are other people coming too, so get them to contribute to the dinner by bringing along something to contribute. Oh, and remember, your guests often don't want to be eating left overs for the next 3 weeks either. By cutting down on the food, there won't be the need to hand out doggy bags which will mean there will be a lot less waste.

6. Not Listening to Adults

   This is buying adults gifts they don't really want and are only likely to end up taking back to the shop for a refund or exchange. Listen to the adults in your life and buy them what they want. If they ask for socks, buy them socks.

7. Don't Get Into Debt to Pay for Christmas

   This is the biggest of the sins and is worth repeating: Don't get into debt to pay for Christmas. It's only one day, and the last thing you'll want is to start the new year with a huge burden that can easily be avoided.

Some very good useful advice from Alvin Hall and is definitely worth keeping in mind when you head out to do your Christmas shopping.

If your interested in hearing the tips straight from Alvin, and in his own words, then be sure to Listen Again before Wednesday 26 November 2008.