ZwNews Chief Correspondent
It’s that time of the year again, the festive season is upon us, synonymous with the long travels to rural areas, the time where chocolates, fancy foods and apparels fly off shop shelves…time for extravagant spending; However, January is just around the corner too.
Some say prevention is better than cure, others like it the other way ‘a stitch in time saves nine,’ people should spend responsibly. Over the years, many have struggled balancing the festive feasts with “January disease” on the other side of the year.
January disease is ready to hit hard without any mercy, rentals wanting to be paid, school fees waiting on the wings to be attended to; And creditors want their debts paid as well.
Anyway, the time is coming wielding a balanced scale; just like the biblical second coming of Jesus Christ, it is not coming as without a warning. For years economists and social commentators alike, have advised on careful spending during the festive season.
Though, Zimbabwe is dogged with a not so pleasing economic path, with fuel shortages, ever rising prices of basic commodities, and liquidity crunch, people still need to spend the little they have wisely.
Vox pop, your favourite publication, ZwNews.com took it to the streets of Harare to get an appreciation of how the people are intending to use the little they have.
Edmore Dzinzi, (vegetable vendor) For me it is going to be business as usual, I toil all year round for very little, and the traditional luxury of buying all fancy things and the likes is now a thing for the past, and with the current state of affairs, I won’t even be able to visit my parents in the rural areas.
Rejoice Juru (supermarket assistant) For me, it will be business, for people to enjoy their holidays well, some should be working to provide the services needed; so I will be at work facilitating people’s spending. My advice to those who would be shopping is that shoppers should prepare a list of things they want to buy and stick to it. Shopping lists help you to guide your spending against your budget.
Moreblessings Muzangaza (college lecturer) Life experiences have taught me to cut the garment according to my cloth, no matter what, especially for leisure, I won’t spend a cent more than what I have planned. I make sure I plan my spending according to my priorities, for instance; I pay my rent, fees, and other mandatory payments first, and I always plan my shopping.
Siyabonga Zuze (kombi driver) I will spend most of the day on the road, transporting people from point A to point B. However, because of the recent fears on shortages of basic commodities, what I had been doing was that when I come across such commodities, while with a few dollars to spend, I could buy and stock, and this has come helpful as I already have most of what I would have liked for Christmas. Maybe on the Christmas day I would only visit the shops to buy some bread, on another note, there is very little or no money to left to overspend, things are hard.
