Cut price hedonism
Published On 6 December 2006
A new report claims that it is possible to enjoy oneself this Christmas without breaking the bank and splurging on the credit cards.A study by Egg has found that the cost of 'fun', such as recreational and leisure goods, has fallen by 0.6 per cent during the past ten years.
In the same time span, according to the Retail Price Index, average UK retail prices have increased by 30 per cent.
"Christmas is a time for giving but shoppers need to make sure they don’t give themselves financial headaches for the new year by overdoing the spending," explains Alison Wright, Egg's chief marketing officer.
"Savvy shoppers can have a very Merry Christmas without breaking the bank," she concluded.
In the last year alone, the price of entertainment items such as televisions and iPods has dropped by almost 11 per cent, while top ten chart CDs have fallen in price by almost a quarter, as competition among supermarkets and online stores has hit retailers.
Consumers are advised to wait until the last days before Christmas to take advantage of some real bargains.
