Don’t JanuWorry – 7 Tips To Survive The Longest Month Of The Year

It’s no surprise that the first month of the year has been dubbed, Janu-worry. After all, it is when most of people’s money troubles comes to the surface. As South Africans we know that December is not just the last month of the year, but #KeDezembaBoss is a lifestyle. And now, the dreaded month that follows has you doing your best to resuscitate your wallet.

Don’t Janu-worry, we have you covered.

Simply follow our 7 tips to ensure that you have what you need in the longest month of the year:

• Budget

Start by looking at what your bank balance looks like after the December damage has been done, and allocate reasonable amounts to the necessary expenditure.

• Draw up a shopping list

Now that you know how much money you have and what you need, draw up a shopping list and stick to it.

• Price compare

Go around from store to store to find the best prices for the items that you need for the month, but remember to resist the temptation of purchasing at the very first stop. If you’re afraid that you’ll be too tempted, collect brochures or check out online catalogues.

• Plan your meals around sale items

While looking for the items you need, make a note of some of the things that are on sale and not on your list. This might help you come up with new meal ideas, while saving you a chunk of money.

• Dry January

Cutting out alcohol for the month of January is a popular tradition in the UK. Drinking water won’t only cut a ton of your spending on nights out, but drinking a glass of water before every meal will also keep you fuller for longer, which will cut your spending even less.

• Resist your credit cards

Even though it may be tempting to use your credit cards over this time, try to fight the urge. That will only create a ripple effect of repayments for the rest of the year.

• Take public transport or carpool

If you generally enjoy the luxury of driving your car in to work everyday, perhaps you could consider taking public transport. If you’d rather not take public transport, perhaps you could carpool. This could possibly cut your travel costs in half.

If you’re still having trouble keeping up with your monthly repayments, contact National Debt Advisors (NDA) today for immediate debt relief!