IT'S the season for goodwill and giving. 

But ahead of Black Friday sales, shoppers are being reminded of Martin Lewis' No Unnecessary Present Pact (NUPP).

The money saving expert went viral last year after urging viewers to consider not giving this Christmas. 

The financial wizard said the gift-swapping festive period has caused priorities to be skewed and people 'would have been better off if they had agreed not to give in the first place'.

He added: "We're not talking about gifts from parents or grandparents, but the ever-widening glut of friends, extended family and colleagues.

"Christmas isn't a retail festival – we need to end obliged giving and think about what we're giving, to whom and why.

"If you're yelling over your wrapping paper "what about the joy of giving?", remember gift-giving creates an obligation on recipients to give back, whether they can afford it or not.

"For some, the gift of "not obliging you to buy for me" is actually better."

A three-minute video on the subject had more than 14 million Facebook views last year.

The Money Saving Expert website instead suggests a No Unnecessary Present Pact (NUPP) with friends, or at least agree to a Secret Santa or £5 to £10 cap on gifts.

And if you're too scared to broach this taboo, the site will even generate an email for you.

Did you follow Martin Lewis' advice last year? And will you be doing the same in 2019?