THE festive season is nearly here and this means the beginning of new things for many of us.

THE festive season is nearly here and this means the beginning of new things for many of us.

This includes taking a look at our spending behaviour during this period.

Economist Tendani Mantshimuli says it is a perfect time to do a "finance spring cleaning" to avoid overspending during this period.

The first thing, she says, and probably one of the most important, is to "get your head out of the sand and face up to financial facts".

"Take a good long look at your finances to determine where you are and where you'd like to be," she says.

Mantshimuli says as part of "spring cleaning" women should also get rid of slips that have been cluttering their in handbags for ages.

"Many women are guilty of the hoarding syndrome, especially little scraps of paper that seem to fester in the bottom of handbags for eternity.

"Give your bag a good old tidy out. If you don't need the slips, throw them out. While you're going through them, you'll probably be surprised by the sheer volume of purchases you make," she says.