Podcast: Ditch the junk food and financial blues this January

It's a feeling we can all relate to: feeling financially powerful during the festive season. But once the festivities fizzle out, we're faced with reality of trying to eat healthily without spending too much. Fear not, here's how

Being joyous and celebratory this season can have an impact on how we buy when we buy and how often we buy. However, this can cause financial stress which we are not prepared for. An expert shares how spending patterns influence human behaviour and how consumers can eat healthy and nutritious meals without breaking the bank.

To give us more information regarding this, we chat with Matlou Setati, the executive of the Food Safety & Sustainability Initiative for the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa in Johannesburg.

The festive season thrill soon fizzles out

During the festive season, we think that power is abundant when it comes to buying, explains Setati. We find that the festive spirit and all-around energy calls for sufficient food, drinks and social activity. Another factor contributing to this notion of abundant power can be the financial power, known as the 13^th cheque, issued out at this time of year. Lastly, December is the time when collection happens at the stokvels.

Evidence from the consumer analytics for 2023, however, shows that most people are still recovering from the financial impact of Covid-19. Setati highlights the previous Black Friday as an example, where consumers did not indulge in extravagance but rather purchased their absolute necessities.

With staggering figures of unemployment looming, the majority of people will suffer financially and are vulnerable to anxiety. Considering this, Setati emphasises that nutritious eating does not necessarily mean extravagance. Instead, she encourages going back to the basics of food gardening and seven colours to ensure nutritious feeding at a more affordable cost.

In the podcast, Setati also discusses:

Trends for this quarter have shown that consumers are spending less on home furniture and maintenance and are rather spending more on items such as food, clothes and leisure.
The importance of prioritising the essentials for both December and January, bearing in mind that January comes with its own set of obligations.