South Africans have been forced to think creatively regarding their finances and that made me think – maybe it’s not such a bad thing… being in the fix we’re in. Taking myself as an example, I’ve made certain adjustments to my lifestyle that has definitely impacted with significance on my life.

My family was forced to spend some quality time around the candle light with the Eskom fiasco – melting marshmallows and actually spending quality time together – eliminating the constant numbing noise we’re willingly or unwillingly saturated with through technology. That incident has now a household ritual where though we not only reconnect with one another but save some money doing it!

Another adjustment was not only to compare prices when doing grocery shopping but also getting myself out of the habit of buying at convenience stores. Conditioning myself to actually make that shopping list and buying in bulk - to my husband’s despair seeing as grocery shopping now takes 2 hours longer! Anyway, I started creating dishes with less, throwing in the basics but still tantalizing my family’s taste buds. For instance, you only need tomatoes, onion, salt & pepper to whip-up a delicious tomato soup served with home made fresh seed bread and VOILA! Wholesome and affordable!

Another adjustment was to clamp down on the credit. If you don’t have the cash to buy it, chances are that you don’t need it at all. There are so many small things that you can do that over the long term save you loads of cash – here’s just a few…

1. Home owners, make sure your bond debit order goes off before the 1st of every month (if you can); it will save you
on some interest.
2. Consolidate your debt as far possible and pay the credit with the highest interest rates off first and try to pay a little
extra than requested on those.
3. Read up on how your loyalty cards work, loyalty programme’s 1st priority is to negotiate better deals for their members.
Most members don’t even know what deals are available – pure ignorance!
4. Knowledge is power – don’t be an emotional shopper (ladies!!!), first do your research and compare prices. The
Internet today offers you a platform to compare! If you don’t have on-line access, go to an Internet-Café - now is just
as good a time to get acquainted
5. Woman, look for the classical looks that last. The fashion trends might leave you with a garment that can only be
worn one season.
6. Men, you don’t have to buy your woman! A chocolate will do, but a helping hand in the house or a neck rub will do
even more!
7. Around the house – make sure you don’t have taps leaking, unnecessary lights burning (replace your bulbs to the energy
saving bulbs) and keep your house neat and fresh so that you don’t feel the urge to go out and spend money.

These are just a few tips from my experience and I am positive there are many more. The bottom line, the economy does have an effect on ALL of us but it is up to you to embrace the challenge and respond positively.

A final thought: it is in these times of adversity that a person’s character comes to the fore & when knowing whom you can depend on will be at a premium! Embrace your world because eventually we’ll look back & smile.

Best wishes,

Tanya Grobler

A day in the life of a bargain hunter… For generations it has been a skill in our family, firstly performed by all the Louw women then passed on to the Krugers' and now as a Grobler, I will pass it on to my daughter Jade…

I have the ability to sniff out a bargain anywhere in the world! I would love to give those unfortunate women that almost always pay full price for a garment, some tips:

1. Look out for a BIG board that is normally written in white letters on a red background “ S A L E “
2. It helps to make notes of dates etc. I am a worthy client of Truworths and they send me sms’s every time they have a sale.
Make sure that you are on all your favourite retailer’s contact lists in order to be informed FIRST.
3. With the first announcement of a “S A L E”, browse through and collect your favourites. You will find that you may still find
your size… If you are one day late you might not find your size at all (that’s Murphy – can’t blame anyone else for that)
4. Once you have collected the favourite items, you need to stash them somewhere where no other bargain hunter can find
them. For instance, inside a big jacket / coat, behind some ugly fashion disasters of the season etc.
5. Then it is the waiting game… You have to wait approximately 3 – 5 days. They will announce a further 25% discount.
Be patient and wait.
6. Go back and find your hidden treasure! You will end up paying half the initial price! And that is called a “BARGAIN”.

When another Bargain Hunter has stole your favourite items, just tell yourself” -it wasn’t meant to be and then watch out for the next “S A L E” boards to appear (next time just find a better place to hide your treasures…)

There are a lot of other intricate details when bargain hunting, like your timing and what styles (classical style or fashion statements) but I will leave this for our next newsletter…

I would like to end with a quote:

”If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.“
Aristotle Onassis

Happy bargain hunting…
Yours truly
Mahala CEO: Tanya Grobler