CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
‘Spend Responsibly Campaign for festive season’ launched
The new ‘Spend Responsibly Campaign for the festive season’’ and portal on retirement and financial capability was launched yesterday by the Ministry for Family and Social Solidarity.
The campaign aims to focus on the importance of saving and spending wisely by planning ahead and setting a realistic budget to avoid over-spending on presents or food, resulting in people then having to live on limited finances for the following months. “The aim is educate and avoid waste,” stated Minister Michael Falzon.
The portal will include information on retirement income, the social security pension, life events, managing money, educational games, and locally developed videos on related themes.
The campaign will be spread out over the next 30 days. These adverts will see the participation of renowned local personalities, and adverts will focus on effective spending, including suggestions to prepare a healthy festive menu for the season.
At the press conference, Permanent Secretary Mark Musu said statistics issued by the NSO reveal that on average, 25 per cent of foodstuffs purchased end up being wasted. Furthermore, in the festive season, food waste increases to three times as much as at other times during the year.
Mr Musu added that the campaign will advise citizens to plan ahead by compiling a thorough shopping list and sticking to it as to avoid increasing the risks of impulse shopping and over-spending.
“By preparing a well-thoughtout plan months before, we can all enjoy this coming festive season in the comfort of knowing that we can still continue with our lifestyles even in the months ahead, while at the same time sparing a donation for those in need,” added David Spiteri Gingell, the Retirement and Financial Capability Strategy chairman.
The portal will include such podcasts or programmes on, for example, how to cook for the festive season while on a budget and ensuring no waste. Furthermore, over the coming months the content portal will increase, the minister explained, adding that the portal will be extended to also include among matters, ‘chatbased’ interactive retirement and financial guidance in real time.
The slogan for the campaign will be Onfoq bil-għaqal, aħseb filfutur (Spend responsibly, think for the future).
“Of course, Christmas is there to be enjoyed and ‘to be merry’. Our message, however, is a simple one: be merry but also be financially responsible. The campaign also encourages people to make a New Year’s resolution to start saving and, thus, make a start to take care of their retirement nest or other dreams they wish to pursue,” concluded Minister Falzon.