Thank God It's Toby: Highlights

Money-saving items such as heated blankets, thermal underwear and subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix are high on the list of things shoppers say they’ll be targeting in the pre-Christmas sales.

As the soaring cost-of-living forces consumers to tighten their belts, a new study by Vodafone suggests 1 in 4 (24%) cash-strapped shoppers in the run-up to Christmas intend to snap up practical goods that will help them to save money and cut their household expenses, especially energy bills.

Interestingly, nearly 1 in 10 (9%) say they will be looking to buy things that can be used now and potentially resold at a later date on online marketplaces, such as eBay and Depop.

41% of those surveyed intended to spend less overall on Black Friday than they did last year with a fifth (21%) stating they wouldn’t spend anything at all.

Almost half (44%) said they would be on the lookout for items that represent good value for money while just under a quarter (23%) said they’d be sizing up things that were cheap but fun or had a feel-good factor.

So how has the economic squeeze affected the way we think about where we shop?

A third of respondents (33%) said they were more likely to buy from retailers that offer buy-now-pay-later deals or provide cheap or 0% credit. Nearly half (49%) said they were attracted to sellers that offered special discounts, and 1 in 10 (12%) were more likely to buy from an outlet that offered some form of the trade-in deal.

Certain products, however, seem to defy cautious budgeting.

Shiny new gadgets such as smart speakers or beauty-related techs such as hair dryers and straighteners tend to be off-the-cuff purchases that are largely unplanned.

Just over a third (34%) of those surveyed described themselves as the kind of shopper for whom price is the most important factor. Almost as many (28%) say plan their shopping trips and always stick to a list.

But with 1 in 10 (9%) admitting they buy things on impulse and often regret splashing out on items they don’t really want or need, how can we get the most out of the end-of-season sales this year without suffering buyer’s remorse or spending more than we can afford?

Joining us to answer these questions is leading psychologist and broadcaster, Dr Linda Papadopoulos.

Highlights from Toby Gribben's Friday afternoon show on Shout Radio. Featuring chat with top showbiz guests.