Many South Africans experience January as the longest month of the year. After receiving the last pay cheque of the year in mid-December, most of us struggle to make it last for almost two months. Which makes January a very stressful month. Keep reading to find what our top survival tips for the Januworry blues.
The only way you’ll survive the New Year hangover is by having a strategy in place. Here are our top 3 Januworry survival tips.
Calculate your leftovers
Calculating your leftovers is simple. All you have to do is weigh your income against your expenses and see how much you have leftover.
Your expenses include everything from rent, car payments, insurance, utilities, childcare etc. These payments should be automated by now. So, you shouldn’t be worried about paying these accounts.
The amount you’re left with after paying your expenses is what you’ll be working with throughout Januworry. For example, if your income is R10 000 and your expenses are R8 000. You have R2 000 leftover for Januworry spending.
A bulletproof spending plan
Now that you know how much you have to spend during Januworry, you need to create a spending plan.
The best way for you to get through Januworry is to create a spending plan that will help you get through the month with the least amount of stress.
Creating a spending plan will put you in the right mindset and help you to spend your money wisely.
Januworry is considered to be the longest month of the year, so be strict in the way you spend throughout the month. Make a conscious decision to spend less.
Live a simple life
There are various ways in which you can live a simple life throughout Januworry.
Eat smarter: Cutting down on food expenses will go a long way throughout Januworry. Instead of buying your lunch from the canteen, pack your own lunch. You can even pack in the leftovers from last night.
Use what you have. Use this financially stressful month to raid the kitchen.
Januworry as a spring-clean month for the kitchen. Only buy groceries if you really need to, otherwise use what you have in the pantry, freezer and fridge.
No more credit card: You’ll be better off without a credit card during Januworry. You might think that a credit card is the only thing that will help get through this month. But, consider the amount of credit you’ll be adding up.
In the long run, a credit card could put you in a worse financial position if you’re not careful. You’ll end up making a Januworry a Februworry.
Take it easy: You deserve a break after all the fun activities throughout December. Instead of going out every weekend, take things easy at home. Inviting friends over for a braai will be more cost-effective than going to your favourite nightclub.
Find an alternative way to spend your weekend that does not involve spending a whole lot of money.
Ask for support
Ask a friend of a family member to help you keep your finances in check. You could ask them to be your advisor on big purchasing decisions throughout Januworry.
Better yet, don’t make any big purchasing decisions.
Keeping your finances in check during January is tricky, but it’s not impossible. Get a plan that works for you and stick to it. The biggest ‘no-no’ is to make more debt for yourself. Stay away from loans and credit cards. This might just haunt you throughout the year.
Be patient during January, stick it out and you’ll be okay 😊
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