Martin Lewis has said that there is an “unfair obligation” on families ahead of Christmas. In an updated Money Saving Expert (MSE) blog, the financial expert says the viral advice he gave over 15 years ago still stands.
Updated on September 14, 2026, Mr Lewis wrote: “It's been over 15 years since I first braved the subject of agreeing to ban unnecessary Christmas presents - expecting a snowstorm of protest. Yet, I actually get an avalanche of feedback from people telling me they do it, and it’s a great relief.”
Gift-Giving Creates Unfair Obligation
In his MSE blog, he wrote that gift-giving “creates an unfair obligation on others” and “mis-prioritises finances”. He explains “there’s a stigma” around not giving gifts, acknowledging that “it’s not an easy subject to broach” as many feel embarrassed about the topic.
Mr Lewis said that, because of this stigma, it's become an “annual tradition” on his TV show to play the video of his 2018 plea that went viral with more than 16 million views - and counting. Replaying the 2018 clip from The Martin Lewis Money Show Live Special, he said: “Christmas has become a retail festival - and it shouldn’t be. Christmas should be joyous but causes some people unhappiness, debt and worry.”
The Zero-Sum Game of Christmas
“Many people feel obliged to buy gifts for others that they know they won’t use, with money they do not have, and cause themselves stress they do not need. I think part of the reason for this is that we have disconnected from why we give gifts.”
Urging people to stop buying for the sake of someone having something to open on December 25, he said that Christmas has become a “zero-sum game”. This means if person A buys person B a gift, person B then feels “obligated to give back”.
This means that, for example, both parties could have put £20 towards bills or clothes for their kids. Instead, it's been spent on a gift that people feel they have to buy - and likely don't want and will not use.
A Call to Get Off the Gift-Giving Treadmill
Concluding his plea, Mr Lewis said: “It is time for us to get off this gift-giving treadmill. I think sometimes the best gift is releasing others from the obligation of having to give to you. Let’s work together to ban unnecessary Christmas presents.”
He received a round of applause from the audience as he said that people shouldn't feel the need to buy presents for all their friends, cousins or teachers. Do a Secret Santa instead and cap it at a fiver or a tenner, he suggested, as not everyone you know needs a gift - and it’s selfish for people to assume they’re owed one from you.
“You might feel embarrassed to raise it, but most people feel the same way,” he concluded.
Advice Even More Relevant Now
Speaking in 2023, having just replayed his 2018 play clip, he stressed that his original plea came before Covid and the cost-of-living crisis - meaning the advice is even more relevant now, with household budgets under greater pressure.
He ended his blog, writing: “Done right, gifts can create real warmth, but it’s time to realise that, done wrong, it can hurt more than it helps. Perhaps the real gift is to release someone from the obligation of buying you a present?”
