10 ways to save money ahead of the festive season

The festive season can bring so much joy, but it can also be a place where your dreams of saving go to die.

The thought of spending beyond our means, as many of us do, can bring stress and mild panic. Between family gatherings, food, gifts, and those spontaneous “Oh, that looks cute” impulse buys, it is easy for costs to get out of control.

But instead of spiralling, focus on building habits over the next two months that won’t leave you with a debt hangover in January. They don’t need to be big changes, just small, intentional ones that can make a real difference.

Here are 10 practical ways to keep your spending under control:

1. Create a separate festive spending account

Mental accounting doesn’t work. Open a second account and use only that account for holiday costs.

Having a ring-fenced amount stops you from dipping into money meant for rent, bills or groceries.

2. Set a December spending cap and pre-save towards it

Budgets often fail because they are too vague. Instead, set one clear number by asking yourself: How much am I okay with spending in December?

Once you have that number, work backwards. If your budget is R6,000, that means saving R2,000 in October, R2,000 in November and R2,000 in December.

Automate the transfer into your festive savings account, so the money is ready when you need it.

3. Use a wishlist delay system

Impulse buying is at its peak during the festive season, and it’s often the smaller “harmless” R400 purchases that add up fast. A simple fix is to use a delay system.
When you see something tempting, drop the link into your private WhatsApp “Wishlist” chat and add a note to check back in seven days. If you still want it and it fits into your plan, then go ahead.

If not, delete it. This pause gives you perspective and reduces regret buys.

4. Do a five-minute Sunday check

Set a reminder on your phone for a quick weekly check-in. It can take as little as five minutes.

Each Sunday evening, review what you spent during the week. This small habit keeps your budget on track and gives you a clear view of where you stand as the new week begins.

5. Turn off shopping notifications

Retailers are so good at tempting you. Those “last chance” sales alerts are engineered to trigger panic buying.

Turn off every shopping app notification and leave only your bank app on. You will remove dozens of unnecessary temptations without even noticing.

6. Choose one swap habit that frees up R1,000 or more

Instead of cutting out small things like your daily cortados, focus on one bigger spending category that you can pause or reduce until December.

For example, replace two takeaways a week with batch cooking on Sundays, take public transport once a week instead of Uber, or commit to giving pre-loved or experience-based gifts instead of new ones this festive season.

A single swap like this can easily free up R1,000 or more a month.

7. Pause before big purchases

When you want to buy something expensive like a new couch, give yourself a 24-hour cooling-off period. Sleep on it.

That pause is usually enough to take the edge off the excitement. If the desire fades, you save the money. If it doesn’t, you can go ahead knowing it’s not just an impulse.

8. Monetise your clutter

The weeks before the festive season are perfect for a clear-out. Go through your closet and living space and sell what you no longer use on Marketplace, Yaga or Gumtree.

Set yourself a challenge like selling R1,000 worth before November and send the earnings directly into your festive account.

9. Run a 30-day clean spending challenge

If you want one big reset, try a no-extra-spending challenge for October.

For 30 days, commit to buying only the essentials and cut out things like new clothes or takeaways.

Track how much you didn’t spend and watch the numbers add up.

Extra tip: If you enjoy competition, get friends involved and keep a leaderboard. Turning it into a game makes it easier to stick with.

10. Spread out gift buying in October and November

Instead of leaving all your shopping for December, start picking up gifts now already while prices are still steady and stores are less crowded.

For example, buy one or two smaller presents each payday so the cost is spread out rather than hitting your budget all at once.

You can also look out for early-season sales like Black Friday to score discounts on bigger items. By the time December comes around, you’ll already have most of your gifts sorted.

Why not keep these habits going?

Saving money is not about cutting away all the fun. It is about creating habits that support the life you actually want. A life where you are less stressed about money and more financially free.

Ready to take your good money habits a step further and make sure they become ingrained?

Sign up for our free Money Habits email course:

Here is what you will get:

• The Wealthbit Habits Workbook: Reflect on your current habits and start designing systems that work for you.
• Four short, actionable emails: Exercises you can complete in just five to ten minutes a day.
• Practical tools and prompts: Step-by-step guidance to build habits that last.

Creating better money habits is at the heart of our Financial Freedom Programme, which offers workshops, coaching, and a mobile app to help teams reduce stress, grow savings, and build better financial systems.

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