POLOKWANE – When people hear the word shopping, many things comes to mind. One of those, is money. Often, people will spend more than they can afford, crippling their financial status.
Zeeva Debt Management aims to empower South African women to take back control of their debt. They share some valuable tips and statistics on spending habits.
Many women can relate to the term retail therapy, which is once in a while good for the soul. Zeeva conducted a survey titled 2017 Smart Woman, Smart Money, in which more than 3 000 women from across South Africa participated. The participants were between the ages of 25 and 34 participated and 2 300 of those women reside in metro regions such as Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal and Western Cape.
via zeeva
When it comes to finances and shopping, there are a few similarities South African women share, namely:
- Over 56% of women are in control of their household finances.
- More than 61% of women search for specials and discounts before they make their way to a shopping centre or store.
- South African women have similar debt issues that include clothing accounts, personal loans and credit card debt.
The survey revealed other interesting information, such as what women from different areas shop for. While women in metro areas spend on dining out, women in less urban areas splurge on cookware. But women from both metro and other areas shop for shoes, home décor, accessories and handbags.
“In the metro regions, more women make use of brochures or catalogues to find information on a product or service. Only 38% of women from the three metro areas mentioned tend to stick to their shopping lists in comparison to the other six regions,” says Zeeva Public Relations Officer, Carla Oberholzer.
Tips to consider when shopping:
- If you can, make use of online shopping and save yourself from the temptations of unnecessary items, lurking around shopping malls and outlets,” she advises.
Oberholzer urges women to make use of online stores and compare prices via Oneshop.
She adds the following:
- Say no to spontaneous shopping. Make a list, stick to your list and only buy the items you need. In the long run, it can save you thousands.
- Buy non-perishable goods in bulk. You can schedule buying items such as toiletries only two to three times a year. If you think about it, this can save you a lot of money.
- Buy out-of-season clothes and shop at sales. You never know how many bargains you can strike when you keep an eye out for end-of-season sales. “Take note, only make use of sales for items you really need. Just because it says ‘sale’ it does not mean you have to give in and buy whatever you think feels great at the time.”
- Buy classic fashion pieces and stand out with unbranded clothes. Don’t blow your budget on branded clothing and extreme trends. Why not be unique and stand out from the crowd by adding accessories to your affordable and neutral coloured outfit?
- You can save money by getting into the habit of using cash only. It all comes down to budget and planning. Carry only a few hundred rand with you to use when you really need to go to the store and stick to your list. Also, plan your meals in advance, this can help you to avoid going shopping mid-week.
“Smart shopping can still be fun for women of all ages and regions. Get into the habit of compiling a reasonable budget for yourself and practice some self-control. If, however, the word ‘shopping’ makes you cringe because your debt pile is currently spiralling out of control, contact the Zeeva team,” Oberholzer concludes.
