Christmas can be exciting and it is tempting to spend all your money on this single wonderful day. We strongly urge you to think before you start splashing. After all remember that money is supposed to last you until the January 2020 month end.

That should be a platitude. Traditionally employers have always tried to help by offering bonuses to help their employees ride out the January disease wave however the economy being what it is even that bonus can be inadequate.

Here are some random things and tips to bear in mind as you spend during this holiday:

We know it’s not fun but seat down and create a budget before you get too drunk. You don’t want to spend all your pay in 24/48 hours. It will make that inevitable hangover all the more unbearable.
Transfer the amount you want to spend into your lite account and leave the primary card with most of your pay at home in a safe place. You can go crazy with that card as much as you want.
Always bear the transaction fees in mind. Some bad banks like FBC don’t send you your balance every transaction and want you to check the balance. Stay away from such banks. Banks should value transparency and not profits.
Keep your pin and card safe. If possible use a chipped card instead of one with a magnetic strip.
Do not share your OTP with anyone no matter who they are.
Do not let your card/phone out of your sight. You do not want to be a cautionary tale.
Remember you have to pay fees next term and buy school supplies for your kids. Have you seen the school fees schools are asking for?
Remember you will need bus fare to go back to work next month.
You should only use cash to pay if there is an advantage e.g. a discount to be enjoyed for doing so. Otherwise, it’s swipe all the way.

Avoid using EcoCash if you can help it. You don’t want transactions to fail. If your EcoCash transaction fails you might never see your money given the procedure which might require you to go back to the shop where the transaction was made which may not be possible.

If you want to use EcoCash transfer the money into your bank card first. This way if something fails you can then eventually recover your money much more easily as you can visit your nearest bank branch to get a statement.