Consumer Affairs: Cup Match spending — don’t end up in the red

With Cup Match being right around the corner, now is a good time to remind consumers that we must all resist the urge to overspend over the holiday. 

There is traditionally a lot of money in circulation over the Cup Match holiday and I urge everyone to give serious consideration this year to what you can afford and what you will actually need to enjoy this holiday.

Whether you are going to the match or just heading to the beach, here are two ways to help you to save money over this Cup Match holiday.

Shop Wisely

Grocery shopping is one of our biggest expenses and we tend to spend quite a bit of money in the grocery stores over the Cup Match holiday. However, this is one area where it is easy to cut back and save cash.

Shop smart — buy in bulk and share the cost with your friends and family if you can. Compare prices and avoid high-priced products that are not a necessity. 

Be very careful when buying perishables as they do not  last long, especially in the heat, and we tend to buy more than we can consume before they go bad resulting in a lot of wasted food and money.  

Buy only the quantity of food that you will need; remember, there will be stores open and if you run out by Friday you can always shop again on Saturday for what you need.

Be careful not to spend on those little extras that you did not budget for and most likely do not need.

Carry Cash

Budget for what you will need and what you can afford to spend and only carry enough cash to last you over the holiday weekend. Decide what you can afford to spend each day and stick to a spending limit. 

Put the debit and credit cards away. When you only have cash in your wallet you are more likely to question whether what you are about to spend money on is a need or a want.

Enjoy the holiday without overspending and breaking your budget. You do not want to spend frivolously and waste money on things that you did not want or need, used only once and could not afford in the first place. Have a safe and enjoyable Cup Match weekend. 

At Consumer Affairs, we offer guidance to consumers, businesses and other organizations. If we receive a complaint, and believe that a violation of the law has occurred, we present the complaint to the business and request its assistance in resolving the problem. Before contacting us, we recommend that you first visit our web-site, www.ca.gov.bm, and read the relevant information. 

If you are unable to find the information you require on our web-site, please e-mail us at [email protected]. 

Honey Adams Bell is the education officer for Consumer Affairs.