‘January can feel like 90 days if overspending in December’

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The Office of the Credit Ombud has urged South Africans to budget for the month of January to avoid a broke and gloomy month.

The Ombud’s spokesperson Kabelo Teme says during the festive season people usually spend more than they can afford.

She has appealed for more conscious spending.

“What you need to do to best navigate January [and] to make sure that at least the essentials are taken care of, put aside money for those essentials. Because I know that a lot of people do struggle with budgeting.”

“I mean some people will tell you that who has got time in December to actually sit down and draw up a budget. But then what happens in January? That’s why a lot of times we then hear people saying that January has got 90 days because it seems like it’s so long,” adds Teme.

Below is the full interview