We’re all so eager to spend over the festive season – on gifts, entertaining, holiday accommodation, and Black Friday “deals” – that it’s little surprise most of us are broke in “Janu-worry”.

If your expenses are putting a strain on your budget if you want to make a start on reducing your debt and on saving in earnest, or if you are simply frustrated with the excesses of today’s consumer culture and want a change in direction, here are a few suggestions, in no particular order, on saving money and shifting focus away from possessions. It’s not rocket science, mostly just common sense (which, as I have said before, is not all that common.)

Curb spending on gifts

Generosity is a virtue, but scale it to your budget. Gifts to loved ones and friends don’t have to be lavishly expensive. Don’t see giving as a competition on whose gift costs the most: well-chosen gifts from the heart will be far more appreciated. Why don’t you and your partner settle on an upper limit for gifts to each other over the festive season and on your birthdays? Decide, for example, on a limit of R1 000. Then you both know where you stand.

Free yourself from fashion

Are you running up high balances on clothing accounts? This is one area where you can cut down drastically. Get comfortable in clothes you can wear time and again, and with the fact that you don’t have to impress your friends with designer labels. If they are friends worth having, they like you for you, not for the labels you dazzle them with.

Reduce your cellphone costs

How much are you paying each month on your cellphone? Too much, I am sure. You may not be able to do it immediately, but when your contract expires you could consider keeping your current phone for another two years and dropping to an airtime-only contract or going pay-as-you-go. You could save R500 to R600 a month.

Eat out less

A dinner for two can easily cost R600, whereas you can make a meal for two at home for R100. That is a saving of R500 every time you don’t eat out. Cut your eat-outs by four a month and you’ll save R2 000 – and you get a chance to hone your cooking skills. Another idea: pack a lunch for work instead of lunching out with colleagues – for three days a week, at least. That’ll probably save you another R1 500.

Have fun without spending money

• Enjoy a stay-at-home holiday. We all need holidays away from home, but you could consider taking one at a different time of year. This is the high season and holiday accommodation is extra-expensive. And are the crowds worth it?

• Arrange DIY meals at home. Get family and friends involved in making their own pizzas or burgers, with an array of toppings to choose from. If you’re doing burgers, instead of chips, try healthier potato wedges, roasted in the oven with olive oil.

• Take a hike. Walking is one of the best ways that you can exercise, have fun and soak up nature at the same time. Early mornings and late afternoons are best to avoid the worst of the sun’s rays. If you have a beach nearby, all the better.

• Eat out in the open. You don’t have to go to a restaurant to eat out. Pack a hamper and enjoy a picnic in a park or on a beach. It’s more peaceful, the decor is more natural and you’ll never have cause to complain about bad service.

• Explore galleries and museums. Most public facilities are free or ask for a small donation. There’s the SA National Gallery in the Gardens in Cape Town and the National Military History Museum in Johannesburg, to name two. Seek out places that have yet to be overrun by tourists.

Cut down on unhealthy eating and booze

Following a healthy diet may not save you money over the short term, but never forget the truism “health is wealth”, and the festive season is when we tend to over-indulge. On the subject of alcohol, the cops, rightly so, will be out in force to catch drink-driving offenders. Don’t risk it.

Declutter your life

Getting rid of unnecessary “stuff” by donating it to a charity of your choice not only gives you a chance to help those less fortunate than yourself, but can trigger a shift in mindset on how you spend your time and money – away from accumulating things to prioritising personal relationships and life experiences.

Above all, avoid more debt

The peddlers of debt – the banks and other lenders – continue to propagate the lie that you can improve your life through credit. Don’t fall for it. The only types of credit that can, if used correctly, work in your favour are a housing loan, a small business loan, and a student loan. Every other type is a liability to your future self, which increases exponentially with time.

* Hesse is the former editor of Personal Finance

PERSONAL FINANCE