YOU know what? It's almost been worth downgrading to Smart Price for the weekly shop just for the effect this recession (nee credit crunch) has had on Christmas silliness.

This time last year walking down the high street felt a bit like the gauntlet challenge in Gladiators, where the contestant would have to run from one side to the other avoiding Shadow and Rhino armed with ramrods and giant boxing pads.

But this year, with just under four weeks to go until Christmas Day, unbelievably, the shops are still looking almost normal.

OK there are lots of glitzy dresses in the windows and most town centres have had their lights switched on by a Z-lister, but it's nothing like the usual explosion of greed and consumerism we've come to expect oozing from our shopping districts from as early as October.

In a lot of ways the credit crunch has been good for us as a nation, I reckon.

I know it's been awful for some unlucky people who have lost their jobs, but generally it's had the effect of a mother-figure picking us up and smacking us on the back of the legs, shouting “Stop all this silliness”.

And, looking back, our behaviour does seem a bit silly and greedy.

The “spend spend spend culture”, I fear, had turned us into spoiled brats. Like Verucca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, we wanted what we saw and we wanted it NOW!

Thankfully we've seen the light and I'm quite enjoying it.

It's nice to have a birthday and Christmas where you actually need rather than want things.

It's nice to take a breather from the competition and realise that we can't all dress like Victoria Beckham because we don't have millions in the bank and get sent free clothes.

And most of all it's nice to remember that Christmas isn't about what you can buy and what you can receive.

It's about seeing your family, getting drunk on mulled wine and having a good old laugh with your mates.

SOME of my happiest childhood memories included stealing Pick 'n' Mix from Woolworths.

That and browsing the aisles for a cassette single to spend my pocket money on.

So imagine my horror when Woolies announced it was going into administration this week.

Woolies can't close — it's a national institution.

And where on earth will we all buy our measuring jugs, sandwich toasters and mugs for work from now?