AS THE Christmas period gains momentum this week with shoppers doing their final picks, a consumer body and teacher unions have urged cautious spending to avoid January blues.
Juba Sakala, who is Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary, said consumers should spend more on things that are necessary so that they do not over-spend during the holiday season.
Mr Sakala said consumers should avoid over-excitement in their buying so that they save money.
“Consumers should bear in mind that schools will soon open in January and they will be required to pay school fees. Consumers should avoid shopping extravaganzas and just buy necessities,” he said.
Mr Sakala said 2018 has been a challenging financial year and that people should develop a culture of saving in 2019.
He said consumers should bear in mind that commodity prices and rentals will go up in 2019 and should, therefore, save some money.
Meanwhile, ZACA has welcomed Government’s decision to ban spending of public funds on Christmas parties.