Image of

MORE East Londoners are slashing their entertainment budgets and are opting to stay at home to survive the economic crunch.

This trend, which is referred to as “cocooning”, was captured in a survey by Bateleur Khanya Research Solutions, which found that consumers were willing to cut communication, recreation and entertainment spending to free up cash.

But while people are essentially sacrificing their mobility, the trend tends to bring families closer together as indoor entertainment takes centre stage.

The survey ranked expenditure categories according to the extent to which consumers have, or intend to, cut back on their spending.

Top of the list was communication expenses (75.8 percent), followed by recreation and entertainment (74.1percent), credit expenses (74percent), clothing and personal grooming (66.8percent), home and food expenses (55.4percent) and transport expenses (54percent).

Surprisingly, consumers were less willing to cut investment and savings (40.3percent) and insurance expenses (29.3percent) .

The Saturday Dispatch discovered that the same trends were alive and well in East London, with families who had in the past chosen regular outings now choosing to stay at home.

Cambridge West father Brian Stevens said before inflation rose it was common for his wife and sons to go out for movies and ice cream and to play games at the casino. They often went for a proper restaurant dinner over weekends.

Last year, he said, they had bought a second car, which they recently sold to equip the home with the comforts required to stay at home.

“We bought the boys the latest PlayStation console and games, got a proper home theatre system and we all sit around and watch movies together,” he said.

According to the research, about 80percent of those surveyed indicated that they had or intended to cut back on eating out, use a landline rather than a cellphone and plan their car trips better, while 83percent planned to cut out holidays.

Local airtime dealerships said people were buying less airtime or choosing cheaper airtime vouchers.

In the East London central business district, Amoyo Kwashenga, who operates a small cellphone repair shop, said up until the middle of the year he sold many vouchers and used the money to upgrade his shop.

“Customers would buy vouchers for as much as R100 and more, but I have had to start stocking more of the R5 vouchers because there is a demand for them,” he said.

Chintsa Bay restaurant manager Garth Ham said patrons were cutting back on the more expensive menu items. “In some cases people are cutting back, but I’d say they are cutting back on expensive items. There has been a 10 to 20percent reduction in how often patrons come,” said Ham.

Nkcubeko Matta, creditor’s clerk at Ntlakohlaza Travel Agency in Southernwood, said they had noticed in the past few months that some clients did not renew their contracts while individuals failed to pay their full accounts within the stipulated time.

“We have not totally escaped the effects of rising costs because, even though government is still flying people in and out of East London, requiring conference facilities, transport and accommodation, some clients are withdrawing,” he said.

Matta said that it was obviously due to a shift in consumers’ priorities.

However, the East London Zoo, a favourite weekend hangout for families, said they had not experienced the effects of financial cut-backs.

The Zoo’s Jason Thompson this week said it was business as usual. “Our weekends are still as busy, with families bringing their children to see the animals and riding on the Smartie train, too,” Thompson said.

He said that they were expecting the festive season to be busy as in previous years. - By SIYA MITI and NTANDO MAKHUBU