Tim Harford on Frugality

11.30am, 13 December 2009
Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1

As Christmas approaches, who better than an economist to advise us on the virtues of frugality?  “Undercover Economist” Tim Harford takes us to task on the gluttony, materialism and wasteful rituals of gift exchange that have come to characterise the most popular religious festival in the world.
 
Tim will preach a timely message about reducing waste, curbing indulgence and suppressing the need for instant fiscal gratification in favour of simpler and more lasting sources of pleasure.  He’ll argue for the rehabilitation of Ebenezer Scrooge, a self-denying hero unfairly maligned by the slanderous ghosts of Christmas. And he’ll urge us to reform our Christmas rituals to make them more efficient and joyful. 
 
By the end of Tim’s sermon, you will have learned what to send instead of Christmas cards, how to choose a present so as to maximise the sum of human happiness, and why frugality is not a miserly vice but the most noble of virtues.
 
Tim Harford book, The Undercover Economist, has sold nearly one million copies worldwide in almost 30 languages. It was named 2008 book of the year by both The Economist and The Financial Times. Tim presented the BBC television series “Trust Me, I’m an Economist” and now presents the BBC radio series “More or Less”. He is a frequent contributor to other radio and TV programs, including the Colbert Report, Marketplace, Morning Edition, Today, and Newsnight. He writes a regular column for the Finanical Times.