Cama cautions against excessive festive spending

Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) has warned consumers against excessive spending in the wake of festive season promotions, urging them to prioritise budgeting before making any expenditures.

In a statement, Cama executive director John Kapito urged consumers to refrain from impulse buying, stressing that during the festive period there are many promotions and advertisements , some of which could be misleading to lure them into buying goods they did not plan for.

He said: “Consumers are also reminded that when they buy items such as electronics and others, they must demand a receipt with warranties and guarantees so that they can return the goods in case they are faulty or not functioning according to specifications.

“Consumers are also reminded that before they start spending money, they must pay for basic necessities such as rentals, water, food, electricity and school fees and they must refrain from unnecessary and useless purchases on items such as alcohol, unplanned parties and other useless luxuries.”

Besides, Cama also emphasises that consumers should always bear in mind that there is a “long month” of January and that after the festive period, they will need more resources in order to sustain themselves through such a long period.

According to Cama, responsible consumers will always not fall victim to unnecessary expenditures that will put them in awkward situations come January.

In the run up to the climax of the festive season on December 25, Christmas Day, consumers have been seen flooding supermarkets and produce markets to stock up for the season.