Simon Read in today’s Independent writes on the topical subject “How shops make you spend.” Topical, because Christmas shopping has been in full swing for many people since October. My wonderful ex-wife is one such; I could never match her forward planning skills.

Read’s subtitle is “the subtle art of the savvy retailer revealed.” Good thinking. If we can better understand the strategies, we are better equipped to resist. Not from a killjoy perspective, because these days Xmas is clearly a retail festival before anything else; but at least to moderate our impulses.

Karyn Fleeting, who writes in Moneywise as Miss Thrifty, has similar instincts, I think. She wrote earlier this year about regular supermarket shopping (“Cut your grocery shopping bill in half”), rather than Xmas gifts; but her thrift message was similarly excellent: “work out what the retailer wants you to do; and then do the opposite.”

Sound advice from both writers, if you want to control costs this Christmas.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

For Simon Read’s article, click HERE.

For Karyn Fleeting’s article “Cut your grocery shopping bill in half”, click HERE or go to www.miss-thrifty.co.uk